


Jealousy

by SB1080



Category: Peaky Blinders (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-18
Updated: 2020-12-28
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:55:58
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 24
Words: 44,432
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28153479
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SB1080/pseuds/SB1080
Summary: Alfie loves women, which is why he restricted Tommy's men from all of them in Camden Town. Tommy was weak when he fell in love, Alfie knew that. But when a new tenant moves in across the street, Alfie finds himself stuck in more than one love triangle. Could he fall in love? If so, would she love him back? Or will jealous actions bring down everything he's built and desires.
Relationships: Alfie Solomons/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 15
Kudos: 54





	1. Chapter 1

“AHHH!” Alfie heard her scream in pain on the other side of the door.   
He looked at the ceiling and exhaled a deep breath.   
“How did I end up here, Tommy?” He asked as he shook his head.  
Tommy stared at him.   
“Drink?” Tommy offered as he held a glass with amber liquid out, but Alfie shook his head.  
“AHHH!” she yelled again, and Alfie released a frustrated growl.   
“Is the bullet out?” Tommy asked.  
“No.” Alfie said shaking his head “And they won’t let me in the fucking room.” He growled angrily, motioning toward the door.  
Alfie tilted his head back against the wall as he listened to her screaming on the other side. He closed his eyes and thought to himself, how did I end up here?  
\-----------------------------------------------------  
Alfie blinked open his tired eyes and turned his head only to find his face inches away from a pair of bare milky white breasts. He chuckled to himself as he leaned up and moved a second woman’s sleeping head from his thigh. Crawling out of bed he found a pair of trousers and slid them on, then proceeded to walk toward the door, careful not to step on the third naked woman sleeping on the floor by the fire. He walked into his sitting room and looked out the window.   
“Fuckin’ hell, what a night.” He said as he stretched his shoulders, a grin on his face.   
He gazed out onto the streets of his kingdom. Camden Town was always the most beautiful to him on Sunday mornings. Children playing in the streets, men and women strolling leisurely and talking with their neighbors. It was as if on Sunday mornings, the world stopped and his kingdom was at peace. Alfie looked across the street at the house that faced his directly and saw a couple moving their belongings out and onto a box truck.   
The man looked at Alfie’s window and the two of them made eye contact before the man quickly looked away and continued loading their belongings. Alfie owned the building, as he did every building within five blocks from his factory. He knew the couple was moving out, and he knew they would be out at noon so he could go look at the condition of the place.   
“I thought I heard you get up.” Rosalie said as she came behind him and wrapped her arms around his toned waist, and he could feel her bare breasts on his back.   
Alfie held his glass and took a drink. “I have work to do.” He said matter-of-factly.  
“You always have work to do.” She responded. “Do me instead.” She said as she kissed his back.   
Alfie exhaled a breath and walked out of her embrace. “Go on. Get the other girls and go.” He said as he sat on his sofa and put his drink down.  
Rosalie chuckled, “What do I look like? A whore? You think you can just tell me what to do and I will just listen?”   
Alfie looked at her. He ran his eyes quickly up and down her naked body then held her eyes and said, “Yeah. Now fuck off.”  
Rosalie’s flirtatiousness left and her shoulders sagged as she walked back to the bedroom to wake the women. As they left Rosalie turned to Alfie and said, “Just because you treat me like a whore, doesn’t mean I am one.”  
Alfie sighed impatiently at her and looked down at his paper as she finally gave up and left.   
After noon, Alfie walked across the street to meet Ollie, his 27-year-old assistant.   
“Doesn’t look too bad. There are a few holes that would need patched up and the bathtub is rusted.” Ollie said, giving Alfie an overview.   
“And what makes you think I want to spend money fixing those things?”  
“I just thought, because of its location, you might want to consider keeping it in good condition.”  
Alfie turned and furrowed his eyebrows at his assistant.  
“It’s right across from your house. And-“ Ollie cut himself off and looked at Alfie.  
“And?”  
“There is a tenant, interested.” Ollie looked down and around the room, avoiding Alfie’s eye.  
“You?” Alfie guessed.  
“No, sir. Not me… My, um, sister. I’ve managed to talk her into moving to Camden.”  
“Mm.” Alfie grunted. “If I keep this place up to your liking-“ He said giving Ollie a side eye, “Then I will have to charge extra. Can she afford it?”   
“Yes, sir. She just rented a building near Camden Road. She’s going to open up a book shoppe.” Ollie said, pride ringing in his voice.   
“Is she?” Alfie said as he turned to Ollie. “On this side or the Italian?”   
“This side, sir. She is a Jew.” Ollie replied his face falling.  
“Mm. So your sister is going to open a shoppe on my streets. And she wants a new bathtub and a wall with no holes?”   
Ollie stared at him, attempting to anticipate his reaction. Alfie stood for a moment before he walked up the stairs. He glanced in the bedroom and examined one of the holes in the wall, then proceeded through to the bathroom to examine the tub. He thought about the cost of replacing the tub and fixing the walls and balanced it against what he could charge for rent and protection. Deciding he could use the replacement costs to his advantage nodded.   
“Alright.” He agreed. “Get a new tub, a nice one. Marble and deep. And get someone to fix the holes.”  
“And my sister, sir?” Ollie implored.   
“There are other houses available.” Alfie said as he looked out the bedroom window and noticed passively that he could see directly into his bedroom if the curtains were open.   
“I know sir, but she is young and attractive. Those other houses aren’t safe for an unmarried woman like her.”  
“Young? Fucking hell Ollie, how old is the girl?”   
“She’s a year and a half older than me. So, 28.”  
Alfie chuckled, “And you think you’re young? Young is going off to war at 16. Not working in my bakery at 27.”   
Ollie said nothing and Alfie considered him for a moment. He wasn’t the bravest or smartest man Alfie had but, he was an alright lad.   
“Alright. But I won’t treat her any different than my other tenants. She will pay or she’ll be thrown out on her ass.”  
“Absolutely, sir.” Ollie said with a smile.   
\---------------------------------------------------------  
The remainder of the week as expected. Alfie made threats, gathered money, and bent Rosalie over his desk more than once.   
“We should have dinner this weekend. I can cook you something.” Rosalie suggested as she smoothed her skirt and Alfie zipped his trousers.   
“No.” Alfie said as he sat and poured whiskey.   
“Why not?” She asked as she sat on his lap and fixed his collar.   
“Fucking hell.” Alfie said exasperatedly under his breath.   
“I’m the one you always call for. I never tell you ‘no’, even though there are other men that want to pursue me.”  
“So, cook for one of them.”  
Rosalie gave a mix between a sigh and growl. “I could you know. And I could stop coming when you call for me. But…” She said as she ran her hand slowly down his chest and stomach settling it between his legs. “Who would take care of you then?” she asked as she began to rub.  
“There are other women.” Alfie said, his trousers giving no response to her hand.  
“Yet, you never call on one of them.” She said as she licked her lips. “Why is that Alfie?”  
“I have work to do. You know the way out.” He said as he grabbed her wrist and moved her hand away from him.   
“One day you’ll realize it, Alfie. And you will beg me to do more than just fuck you.” She said as she walked out of his office.   
“Ollie!” Alfie called when Rosalie had left the building.   
“Yes?”   
“Every day your sister doesn’t live in that fucking house, is another day I lose money on it. I fixed the fucking holes and got a new tub. What the fuck is she waiting for?”   
“I’m helping her move in on Sunday.”  
“And she will have rent ready at the set rate?”  
“Yes.”   
“Good. Go home.”’  
\------------------------------------------------------  
Alfie woke up on Sunday to voices from the street. He growled as he walked to look out the window and saw Ollie and two other men that Ollie had recruited unloading furniture. Alfie looked back at the bed and saw Rosalie and the other girl he couldn’t remember the name of and inwardly groaned. He knew if he were there when Rosalie awoke, it would be more persistence that he step out with her for drinks or a film. He slipped on some clothes and walked across the street.   
“Oh, to your left boss.” Ishmael grunted as he and Adam carried a sofa toward the house and Alfie stepped aside to let them pass.   
“Over there please.” He heard a woman say and he walked into the house.   
“Like this?” Ishmael asked and Alfie watched the back of a dark auburn-haired woman nod.   
“Yes, that’s perfect!” she exclaimed.   
“Sorry.” Ollie said as he almost walked into Alfie, carrying a lamp and Alfie dodged him.   
When he looked back at the woman, he found her looking at him, her hazel eyes curious. Alfie paused as he looked in her eyes.   
Ollie cleared his throat. “Lidia, this is my boss. Alfie Solomons. Boss, this is my sister Lidia.”  
“Hello.” Lidia said and she held out her hand.


	2. Chapter 2

Alfie looked at her outstretched hand and back at her. When Ollie said his sister was moving in, he had expected to see a family resemblance and wasn’t disappointed to see there was nothing to visible suggest the two of them were related.   
“Um,” Lidia said as she dropped her hand awkwardly, “You want the rent then? Let me just find my bag.”   
Lidia scanned the room until she found her handbag and proceeded to flip through the paper.   
“Here you are. As you and my brother agreed.” She said as she held the money toward him.   
Alfie, attempting to gain his composure, grunted as he took the money and counted.   
“Right. Well. When do you open your book shoppe?” He asked.  
“I’ll get everything settled here then go first thing in the morning.”  
“Does it not bother you that half of Camden Town can’t read?” Alfie said with a laugh.  
“No.” She responded, defiance etching her face at his mockery.  
Alfie looked at her and squinted slightly as he read her face. “I will be by later this week to check on things.” He said as he began to turn.  
“You will?” She replied, disappointment ringing in her tone. “Here or at my shoppe?”  
Alfie turned back toward her. “Yes, I will. And I own both buildings you’re renting. I will come by either of them any time I choose.”  
“But the manager said his name was-“  
“I am a busy man. I don’t have time to manage every fucking building I own.” He said, growing irritated.   
“You don’t have to be so rude.” Lidia mumbled under her voice as she turned back to her moving project.  
“What?” Alfie asked, his eyebrows shooting up.   
“Nothing! She didn’t say anything.” Ollie said rushing to stand beside his sister.  
“I-“ She started but was cut off when her brother elbowed her shoulder.   
“No. No. Let her speak. If she has something to say I want to hear it.” Alfie said holding up a hand to Ollie.  
Lidia and Alfie held eyes before she sighed. “It’s been a long week and I am just ready to get settled. I apologize, Mr. Solomons. I’d be happy to show you my shoppe, I would just prefer to have it up and ready first to make a good impression.”   
Alfie stared at her before she gave a sweet, apologetic half-smile.   
“Mm.” He grunted before he turned on his heel and left the house.   
When Alfie returned to his house, he was glad to see the women had left. He walked to the bathroom and began to undress as he ran a hot shower. Stepping in he thought about his introduction to Lidia. He was sure Ollie would have told her the rules, so her attitude toward him was puzzling. Alfie couldn’t decide whether she was brave or just stupid.   
“Well. She is related to Ollie, so bravery is unlikely.” He concluded before he began to wash.   
The remainder of the day he occasionally looked across the street to monitor the progress. The box truck left after noon and Alfie watched as curtains were hung; but what really caught his attention was the laugh. He heard it when he opened the window in his sitting room. Lidia’s door and windows were all open and he could see Ollie sitting on the sofa with his sister, drinks in hand. Alfie had no idea what Ollie was saying but his sister’s laugh made Alfie smile.   
An hour later Alfie walked into his bedroom and opened the curtains to allow the summer air in his bedroom. As he turned down his oil lamp, he noticed a light across the street. He could see Lidia laying on her bed in nothing but her slip, reading. He watched her for a moment and took the opportunity to take his time examining her. She lazily twirled a piece of her dark auburn hair around her finger and he ran his eyes down her body as she lay on her stomach and settled them on her bum. Fucking hell he thought as he noticed it’s roundness.   
For a moment she paused, as if she could sense him looking at her and Alfie held his breath thinking she would look over but she simply continued reading. He chuckled as he turned and continued to bed, leaving her to read in peace.   
_______________________________________  
Alfie watched Lidia read for a moment every night for the next three nights. On Thursday, he called for Rosalie.   
“Couldn’t stay away could you?” She said as she entered his office.   
“Mm.” He said as he pulled her close. “Turn around.”  
“You could engage me in some conversation first, at least.”  
“I want to see your ass.”   
“Alright then.” Rosalie sighed as she turned around to face the desk. He pulled her dress up, relieving that she wasn’t wearing knickers. Not that she ever did when she came to visit, per his orders.   
He gently pushed on her back and she bent over, and he looked at her ass. He gently ran a hand over her right cheek. Is this what hers looks like? He found himself thinking. Alfie shook his head, as if that would push away his curiosity. Closing his eyes, he unbuttoned his trousers and inserted himself. He thrust into her, the desk rattling, until he found his release.   
“Do you have a preference on which pub we all go to this weekend?” She asked as she sat on his desk.   
Alfie shook his head.  
“We all enjoyed ourselves at Marty’s. Let’s go there.”  
“Marty’s it is.” He said lazily and Rosalie smiled as if he had given her a treat.  
“Do you want me to come upstairs with you?” She asked as she spread her legs a bit.  
Alfie considered her offer but decided against it. Instead, he watched from his window as Lidia strolled from the bathroom in her silk robe and sat on her bed, book in hand. Rather than lie on her stomach, she propped a pillow and leaned against the headboard. He never watched her for long. Just long enough to admire her slip and round bum. Disappointed that she was almost completely covered, he went to turn from the window. Before he did so, he saw her move. Slowly she moved her hand and began to untie her robe. Alfie watched as she opened it to reveal light blue knickers with a matching brassiere. He was glad her eyes never moved from her book; it gave him plenty of opportunity to take in the new sight. He looked at her breasts and watched then slowly rise and fall with each breath, cursing the brassiere that obstructed the view to her flesh. He looked at her stomach and followed the trail her robe opened for him down her legs.   
“Fucking hell!” He said as he turned, coming to his senses. “Like a fucking teenager. Watching women through the window. What the fuck is wrong with you, Alfie?”  
He ran a frustrated hand through his hair and went to bed. The next morning, he awoke and decided he had given her long enough. He would go to Lidia’s shoppe and see her progress.   
_________________________________  
Walking in, he heard the bell above the door chime.  
“Just a minute!” He heard her yell in the distance.   
He looked around and appreciated the atmosphere Lidia had instilled in the shoppe.   
“Oh. Hello.” She said out of breath. “Um, I’m not quite open. Still arranging books, but have a look around if you’d like.”  
“What’s that smell?” He asked.   
“Cinnamon bread.” She answered and he looked at her curiously. “I bring it in when its warm and walk around the room with it. I think it gives the building a rich sweet smell, to cover the scent of the mold.”  
“Mold?”   
“Yeah. I’m assuming the roof leaks. It’s mostly in the back but I don’t want people to walk in and think my books are moldy, so…” she trailed off with a shrug.   
“Mm.” he grunted. “Well. That’s all in order. We need to talk about payment.”  
“I already paid rent to the manager.”  
“I’m not talking about rent, love. You live across the street from me and well, this is a new shoppe. You will want to keep criminals out.”  
“Criminals?” She repeated.  
“Mm. It would be a shame for them to catch one of your books on fire. The whole place would burn down. And if someone broke into your house, well then, your safety would be in question. For example, assume you were home when it happened, what would you do then?”  
Lidia stared at him and absent mindedly licked her lip as she thought. “So, you want me to pay you for protection? To keep my shoppe, that is in your building, and my house, which is also in your building, safe?”  
“Yes.” Alfie replied flatly.   
Lidia scoffed and turned from him. “You have insurance?” she asked.  
“What?”  
“These buildings are yours I assume you have insurance on them?”   
“Yes…”  
“Then your insurance should cover my books.”  
“That’s not how this works.” He said.   
“Why not?” She challenged.   
“Because-“ He growled in frustration. “Are you sure you and your brother are related?”  
Lidia chuckled, “Yes, but I’m the smart one.”  
“Clearly. Look, you have to pay me for protection. It’s the rules. Everyone does, it’s just how it works.”  
“Alright. But on one condition.”  
Alfie laughed. “No, there are no conditions. You pay, no one comes near the fucking place. That’s it.”  
Lidia rolled her eyes. “You own the building. No one comes near it anyways or they suffer the wrath of Alfie Solomons.”  
“You are about to suffer the wrath of Alfie fucking Solomons.” He said under his breath as he looked away, his frustration growing.   
There was a pause as they stared at each other and finally Lidia broke out into a laugh.  
“Alright, alright. How much do you want?” She asked as she walked to the back.   
Alfie told her the price and she brought the money.   
“What was your condition?” he asked curiously.  
She smiled at him. “My ladder broke. I need someone to help me that can reach the top shelf.”  
Alfie breathed a laugh. “Where and what do you want.”  
She grabbed his hand and lead him through some stacks. As they reached the back stack she stopped, “There.” She said pointing, not realizing she hadn’t let go of his hand.  
“And what do you want up there?” He asked in a husky tone and she turned to find inches from her.   
“Um,” She swallowed. “T-those books. There.” She said but neither looked at the books.   
Tension grew between them and Alfie could hear her shaky breath. As he began to lower his mouth to hers, the bell from the door chimed.   
“Um…” Lidia said as she looked in the direction of the door. “Coming!” She yelled before looking back at Alfie and walking away.


	3. Chapter 3

Alfie put the books where she wanted as he heard Lidia talking with a woman at the front. He paused and listened as the voice of the other woman sounded familiar. When he was finished, he walked up and found Rosalie with Lidia.   
“Did you get it?” Lidia asked him and he nodded as he looked at Rosalie.  
“What are you doing here?” Rosalie asked. “I thought you said you weren’t open yet?” she said turning her attention to Lidia before Alfie could respond.  
“I’m not. Mr. Solomons just came by to check on things.” Lidia replied a bit taken aback at the accusatory tone Rosalie held.   
“Did he? Well, isn’t that charming.” Rosalie said sarcastically.  
“Anything else?” Alfie asked Lidia.   
Lidia shook her head, her brows furrowed at Rosalie before she looked at him. “No, that’s all. Thank you.”  
Alfie strode past them, acknowledging Rosalie only by her name before he left. Rosalie gave Lidia a side eye and looked her up and down.   
“How well do you and Mr. Solomons know each other?” Rosalie asked.  
“This was only my second interaction with him.”  
“Hmm. Well, take it from me. You will want to stay as far away from him as possible.”   
There was a pause as Rosalie started at Lidia.   
“Alright.” Lidia responded finally, wanting the awkward conversation to be over.  
“Good!” Rosalie said cheerfully. “This place is so… quaint.” Though her tone was friendly, Lidia couldn’t help feeling ‘quaint’ was aimed to be insulting. “Books…” Rosalie continued as she looked at a loose book on the counter. “That’s adorable.”  
Lidia’s distaste for Rosalie grew as Rosalie continued to tear down the shoppe with her eyes.  
“Well, I should go. I just wanted to introduce myself. We all like Ollie, he is like our own naïve little brother.” She laughed and then walked out of the shoppe.   
Lidia picked up the book Rosalie eyed. The Beautiful and the Damned Lidia read and then looked at the door after Rosalie. “What does she know?” Lidia said rolling her eyes before placing the book on a shelf.   
_______________________________________________  
Lidia was glad it was Friday. As she neared her house, she looked across the street and saw Alfie’s light on. She gazed at it, curious of the man inside. Ollie respected him, she knew that. Every sentence at holiday gatherings started with “Alfie says…” or “well Alfie thinks….”. She had been in Camden Town less than a week and so far, the only thing he had done was demand money from her. Shrugging him from her thoughts she walked into her house. 

_______________________________  
Alfie’s window was open again and hearing a door close, he looked out. He expected to see her walk to her room as usual and pull out her book. But tonight, he watched as the bathroom light turned on upstairs and he froze. Her bathroom curtains were open, and he watched Lidia walk to the bathtub. She rubbed her neck and leaned her head to the side, clearly exhausted from the day. She reached under her arm, unzipped the side of her dress and allowed it to fall to the floor. Lidia moved the straps of her slip and allowed it to fall, meeting her dress.   
Alfie looked away and hesitated. He had watched her read and undo her robe the day before, but this was different. He knew watching her undress was wrong, but his interest to see what lay underneath was more than his shame. All while having her back to the window, Lidia removed her brassiere and Alfie’s lips parted as she began to remove her knickers, exposing the bum he was so curious about. Once her knickers had fallen to the floor, she gently stepped into the warm water and leaned her head back against the marble.   
Alfie’s eyes were glued to her. She had now turned into his own personal Bathsheba. He watched as the steam from her bath relaxed her. She dipped herself into the water and wiped it from her face as she smoothed her wet hear back. He clenched his jaw as the deep marble blocked his view from her breasts. When she had finished washing, she released a deep sigh and leaned forward prepared to stand. His eyes went wide as she stood and faced the window to step out of the bath, water running down her body. His trousers tightened as he looked at her breasts and he allowed his eyes to travel down.   
“Fuck.” Alfie whispered as he looked at her perfect body.   
His erection pulsated with desire as he watched her grab a towel and begin to dry herself. Finally, she wrapped the towel around her body and started to look at the window. Alfie moved out of sight and groaned as he put his hand on his painful erection. He needed satisfaction and he needed it now. He adjusted himself so his erection wasn’t as noticeable, and he walked downstairs and across the street.   
Alfie knocked on the door and closed his eyes, seeing her body in his mind. He shifted his hips as his erection became increasingly uncomfortable. He knocked again and to his relief he heard footsteps.   
“I’ll get it!” He heard Ollie yell from inside.   
“Fuck!” Alfie barked under his breath and he ran his hand over his beard, contemplating what to do.   
Before he could turn and go back, the door opened.   
“Oh, boss. It’s you.” Ollie said in surprise.   
“What are you doing here?” Alfie growled.  
“Uh, my sister is going to cook me dinner.” He replied with a shrug. “Did you need me for…” He looked back in the house to see if his sister was listening, “Business?” as if what they did was a secret from Camden Town.  
“No. I came to talk to your sister.” Alfie confessed.   
Ollie’s attention perked up. “Did she do something she wasn’t supposed to?”  
“Wha-? No. It can wait. I’ll-“  
“That’s alright. She was in the bath, but she’s coming down now.” Ollie interrupted before he turned around and said, “It’s for you.”  
“Well I assumed, being that it’s my door.” Lidia said laughing.   
Ollie walked a few paces back as Lidia came to the door in her bath robe.  
“Oh. Mr. Solomons. Good evening.” She said curiously.  
“Yeah, good evening. Uh, that mold… I can have someone work on that.” Alfie said, saying the only thing that came to his mind.  
“Let me guess,” Lidia said as she looked at her brother and then stepped out, shutting the door behind her. “It will cost me?”  
“No.” Alfie said without thinking as he shifted his hips once more.   
Lidia noticed his uncomfortable shift and swiftly ran her eyes down him to see what was causing his discomfort. Her eyes went wide and she stifled a grin as she quickly looked away, noticing his erection.   
Alfie cleared his throat awkwardly as if pretending he didn’t know she noticed.  
“You didn’t know my brother was here, did you?” She asked, a mix of humor and understanding in her voice.  
“What?” Alfie asked, as if he didn’t know what she was referring to.   
His response made Lidia’s stifled smile harder to hide.  
“I’m about to cook dinner, if you would like to join us.” She offered.  
Alfie’s mind was nowhere near food, resulting in him gaving her a small look of surprise, disgust, and shock.   
“Not for- ew!” She said reading his thoughts. “Join us for dinner… that’s it!” she said as she began to laugh.   
“Look-“ Alfie started but cut himself off.   
“Mr. Solomons I don’t know you that well, but I would say with you jumping to that conclusion, you weren’t getting enough blood flow to your brain.”  
Alfie looked at her, no humor on his face and Lidia, unable to stop herself, put her hand over her mouth to stop her laughing.   
“I’m sorry. I couldn’t help it.” She said as she desperately tried not to laugh.  
Alfie turned angrily to walk away but she caught his hand.  
“I’m sorry.” She said with a last chuckle.  
Alfie looked down at her and then at the cleavage displayed by her robe. Lidia followed his eyes.  
“That woman that came in my shoppe…. I got the impression you were involved.” Lidia said, humor gone.  
“Alfie Solomons doesn’t get involved.” He said bluntly.  
“Though not for a lack of trying..” She responded, her grin returning as she flicked her eyes toward his erection once more and he shifted his hips.   
Alfie cleared his throat and step toward her. “From now on I want you to call me Alfie.” He said as he looked into her hazel eyes and slightly as well as involuntarily moved his hips so his erection barely brushed her stomach.  
The brush was so slight it was almost as if he had imagined it, but it made his blood boil with desire. He clenched his jaw, all the while she looked at him through her long lashes, never moving. He couldn’t tell if she wanted him, her body language was calm, but he wanted her so bad he would have her in the middle of the street for all of Camden to watch.   
“Alfie…” She said in a breathy voice. “I just met you..” She said and she bit her lip seductively as she drew her face closer to his. “But…. just because I let you watch me bathe, doesn’t mean I’ll let you between my legs.” And she stepped back as Ollie opened the door.  
“Everything alright?” Ollie asked, a tone of protectiveness showing.   
“Of course. I was just asking Alfie if he wanted to join us for dinner.” She responded.  
“Oh? What do ya say boss?” Ollie said with a smile, oblivious to what he had interrupted.   
“Not tonight.” Alfie said and he turned and angrily walked across the street, his erection sore from unsatisfaction.


	4. Chapter 4

Alfie stomped up the stairs to his house and burst through the doors.   
“FUCK!” he yelled as he leaned against the back of the sofa.   
He shot a nasty look through the window towards Lidia’s house. She had known he was watching. She was teasing him. He’d only just met her, and he had already begun to harbor an intense hatred for the woman. He looked at his telephone and shook his head. He knew his hatred at that moment was caused by his sexual frustration. He picked up the telephone and called the boarding house down the street.  
“Hello?” Rosalie answered when the landlord finally gave her the phone.  
“Come over.” Alfie growled.  
“I can’t, I’m busy.” She said and Alfie’s anger grew.   
“What?” Alfie asked.  
“I said, ‘I’m busy’.” She said defiantly.  
“Fine.” He snarled, “I’ll call someone else.”  
“Wait!” She yelled on the other end of the phone before he hung up the receiver. “What’s the matter?”   
“I just called you and told you to come over. What do you think is the fucking matter?” he snapped.   
She remained silent on the other end.   
Alfie released a sigh. “Rose…” He said in the low seductive voice he knew she liked. “Come over. Now.”  
“Promise me we will go to the pub together.” She said.   
“Fucking hell.” He said under his breath.  
“Promise me and I will be there in 10 minutes.”  
Alfie didn’t care what he had to tell her to get her there, he just needed her to get there.   
“Fine. Be here in 5.” He agreed and slammed the receiver down.   
Alfie paced in front of the door until he heard Rosalie’s heels coming up the stairs. Before she could knock on the door, he slung it open and grabbed her. He pulled her in the door and pushed her against it as it closed. He kissed her once as she dropped her handbag and then he picked up her thighs so she could wrap them around his waist. He undid his trousers and freed himself, giving his erection contentment from the tight constraint. Not wasting time, he held her against the wall and pushed into her. She cried out a loud moan as he thrust forcefully into her.   
“Alfie, slow down.” She said breathlessly and he turned and walked toward the sofa, never removing himself from her.   
He laid her on the sofa and continued to push into her, his pulsating erection finally feeling satisfaction. He looked at Rosalie beneath him, her blonde hair falling out of the bun she had quickly fixed before coming over.   
He closed his eyes, picturing the naked body he had gazed at through the window earlier in the night. He pushed hard into her, hearing Rosalie’s loud moans as he did so. He thought of the way Lidia laughed at him and his erection and how she teased him with her body, all the while knowing she wouldn’t give it up to him. He wanted to push himself into her, to show her he was in charge. He wanted to claim her along with every other woman in Camden Town and have her whenever he pleased. He snarled as he thought about having Lidia under him until finally, he buried his face in Rosalie’s neck and grabbed a handful of hair as he exploded his frustration into her.   
Rosalie cried out as her climax came with his. He lay on top of her, his muscles shaking.   
“Wow. That was….” She looked at him. “You needed it in a bad way, didn’t you?”  
“Yeah.” Alfie whispered as he nodded and leaned up. “Fuck.” He ran his fingers back through his hair.   
“Can I stay the night?” Rosalie asked.  
Alfie considered her for a moment. He had been so built up and now that he was empty, he just wanted sleep.  
“Alright.” He conceded with a small nod and Rosalie lit up. “But we’re going to sleep.”  
“After that, I have to. I won’t be able to walk tomorrow. You go at me like that again and I’ll be in the hospital.” She confessed with a grin and Alfie chuckled as he began turning out lamps.   
Rosalie stripped and crawled into his bed, Alfie following her lead. As he went to extinguish the lamp in his room, he looked out the window. Lidia was laying on her bed asleep, lamp still on and book laying open beside her. Rosalie adjusted the sheets on the bed, her movements drawing Alfie’s attention back to his room. He glanced up one last time toward the sleeping Lidia and turned out the lamp.   
____________________________________  
The next evening Alfie walked into the pub with Rosalie. Marty had been expecting them and had their usual drinks ready when they walked through the door.   
“Thank you, Marty.” Alfie said as he took his glass.   
“Your party’s that way, sir.” He said as he pointed to the large familiar crowd.   
“Lovely. Ollie brought his sister.” Rosalie said sarcastically and Alfie looked in the corner to see Lidia.   
“That’s why I was late.” Lidia said as they walked up to the conversation. “You said the place was ‘Marty’s’ so I was looking for a pub called ‘Marty’s’.”  
“Nah. Marty just runs the place.” Alfie said, interjecting himself into the conversation as he sat beside Ollie.   
“Yeah, well. I figured that out the hard way.” Lidia responded giving her brother a sideways glance.   
“I’m sorry! I told you I could walk with you. But no, you wanted to come from the shoppe.” Ollie responded.  
Ishmael brought up football and the conversation turned to sports.   
“You play?” Lidia asked, not believing the group when they insisted Alfie had participated in a football game last year against the Italians.   
“Ah.” He replied, waving his hand. “Just a bit of friendly sport against the fucking wops.”  
“Ollie here had the idea we could use the game to settle arguments instead of fighting.” Ishmael said as he patted Ollie on the shoulder.  
“Did it work?” Lidia asked.   
“No. Ended up breaking into a fight before the game finished.” Ishmael responded laughing.   
Lidia shook her head and laughed. She and Alfie held eyes for a moment before she shook her head.   
“I still can’t believe you play football.” She said to Alfie.  
“Why?” Alfie asked.  
“Because, you just seem so….serious.” She said finally.  
“Serious? You’ve known me a week, treacle.” He said as he picked up his glass. “And I’ll have you know, some people take football very serious.”  
“Apparently.” She said laughing.  
As the night went on, the group became more intoxicated. Lidia could feel Rosalie’s eyes on her as she talked with Alfie, who had begun giving her flirtatious looks which she returned. Deciding she needed air, Lidia proceeded to find the toilet. As she came out, she almost collided with Rosalie.   
“Oh. Excuse me.” Lidia said in reflex.   
“He won’t ask you, you know.” Rosalie said condescendingly.  
“What?”  
“To come to his house.”  
“What are you talking about?”  
“I’m there every weekend. It’s always me and a couple other girls that he chooses. But he won’t ask you.” Rosalie sneered.  
Understanding what Rosalie was saying Lidia responded, “What makes you think I would go if he asked me?”  
Rosalie scoffed. “I see the way you look at him. It’s adorable, really. But he will never want you. Not when he can have me. I’m the one he always calls for. He won’t call for you.”  
“Alright.” Lidia said as she moved past Rosalie.   
“I was with him last night. You live across the street and he still called me.” Rosalie continued.   
Having enough, Lidia turned on her heels and stared straight into Rosalie’s eyes. “If you’re the only one he wants. Why did he show up at my door with a bulging erection last night? Hmm?”  
Rosalie stared at her in disbelief.   
“Yeah. His cock was practically bursting through his trousers. And then I turned him down. So, apparently he called you.”  
“You’re lying.” Rosalie said.   
“Am I?”  
“Yes. Because he told me you were a cheap whore. That’s why he moved you across the street. He can take the money you make off your customers if you live near his ‘bakery’. He’s being nice to you now so he can take advantage of it later.”  
Lidia shook her head and walked away.   
“Let me guess he made you pay for protection? That’s because he knows men can be brutal with whores. Hitting them and all.” Lidia hesitated as Rosalie went on. “And the books. They’re all fake too. He plans on letting you set up the shoppe then selling it to the highest bidder. Why do you think he came to check on it? You think he does that for the other businesses in his buildings? No. Just yours because he thinks he can turn a profit from your thick fantasies.”   
When Lidia made it to the table, she began gathering her things.   
“Where are you going?” Alfie asked.  
“Home.” Lidia responded angrily.  
“What’s happened?” Ollie asked.  
“Nothing.” She said as she turned and began walking toward the door.  
“Wait a minute.” Alfie said and he grabbed her wrist.  
“DON’T grab me.” She said as she spun around. “I came to Camden Town to be closer to my brother and to open my shoppe. I’m not a whore. I don’t pay you for protection so you can keep men from beating on me in my house as I do business.”   
“What are you talking about?” He asked, his mind sobering as she went on.  
“Forget it. I’m going home. Don’t come knocking on my door unless you want rent.” She said and she turned and left.   
“What’s wrong with her?” Rosalie asked innocently as she walked up from the toilet.   
“Did you say something to her?” Alfie asked.  
“No. I just used the loo.” Rosalie lied.   
“Mm. Must have been the rum.” Alfie dismissed and walked back to the table.


	5. Chapter 5

Alfie was disappointed Lidia had left. His irritation at her from the night before vanished as he drank his rum and as he escorted his selections to his house, he couldn’t help but wish she had been in their midst. The group of four laughed as they drunkenly stumbled into his room.   
“It’s warm. Let’s open a window.” Rosalie suggested.  
Alfie went to open his window and paused when he noticed Lidia’s curtains were all closed. He saw the bottoms of the curtains sway and he knew her windows were also open.   
“What’s taking so long?” one of the girls said before she burst out laughing and Alfie turned his thoughts from Lidia and joined his women.   
The next morning, Alfie awoke with a headache. He drug his feet to the sitting room and poured himself a glass of rum. You’re not hungover if you don’t stop drinking, He reminded himself. He paused as he held the glass to his mouth. Lidia’s window was shut, her curtains still closed. Shrugging it off he woke the women and told them to leave.   
As he walked around the neighborhood that afternoon, he saw groups of people walking into Lidia’s book shoppe. Deciding to follow, he walked in. The shoppe was full of people looking at books and he found Lidia talking to a woman about an author she was interested in. When Lidia spotted him, she gave him a disdainful look and continued with her conversation. Alfie walked up and the woman spotted him and walked away, leaving Lidia. Lidia turned her back to him without acknowledgement.   
“I see you’re open for business.” Alfie said as he followed her to a stack so she could put loose books in their place.   
“Obviously.” She responded curtly.  
Alfie looked at her curiously. “It’s too bad you left when you did. The party had just started.”  
She slammed a book on the shelf and turned to him. “Yes. I know. Your party, if that’s what you want to call it, kept me awake all night.”  
His curious expression turned into puzzlement.  
“Your window was open.” She said, clarifying the situation.  
“Oh. Right.” He said with a chuckle, which made Lidia’s nostrils flare. “What would you call it if not a party?” he asked, his eyes lighting up with mischief.  
“Disgusting.” She said bluntly as she turned to walk to the back.  
Alfie followed her. “That’s too bad. You could have joined in-“ he started but was cut off when her palm collided with his left cheek.  
“Don’t ever suggest I join in on your filthy sex with those filthy women! I’m not a fucking whore!”  
Alfie stood in shock, which quickly turned to annoyance. “Well. I didn’t realize you were a puritan.”  
“I’m not. I like a good fuck as much as the next woman, but I have no interest in joining one of your groups.”  
“Noted.” Alfie responded and began to walk to the front.  
“Alfie.” Lidia called and Alfie turned to her. “I’ve loved reading since I learned how. And from the first time I got lost in a book, I have wanted to sell them so others can get lost in them as well. This place is my dream.” She said as she looked at him and he could see the emotion growing in her eyes. “Please tell me the truth, Alfie…. Are you going to sell my shoppe?”  
“What?” Alfie asked, genuinely confused.  
“Are you going to sell my shoppe?” she repeated as a tear ran down her cheek. “Was this all so I could build it up and you could make a profit from the highest bidder?”   
“Why would you think that?” He asked after a moment, his voice gentle.  
Lidia sniffed and wiped her cheek. “That’s what she told me. At the pub. She said you wanted me to make the business and then you were going to take it and sell it.”  
“Lidia. I have no interest in selling your shoppe. If I wanted to open one, I would. I wouldn’t need to steal yours. Is that why you left last night?”  
Lidia nodded.   
“What else did she say to you?”  
“That you thought I was a whore. That the protection I paid you was so the men that came over wouldn’t beat me during sex.”  
“Fucking hell.” Alfie said as he looked at the ceiling and shook his head.  
“And that you wouldn’t choose me.”  
“That I wouldn’t choose you.” He repeated as she continued to shake his head.  
“Not that I care about that one, I don’t want to be chosen.” She paused before saying, “I’m sorry. I’m not usually an emotional person I’m just tired. Every noise that comes from that fucking woman is so incredibly obnoxious. I don’t know how you tolerate it. I swear she was screaming at one point. Even when I closed the window, I could hear her.”  
Alfie sighed and mumbled. “That’s why she wanted the window open.”  
“What?”  
“Look. Don’t listen to anything that comes from Rosalie’s mouth, alright? I know you aren’t a whore. I don’t want to sell your shoppe. And if you hadn’t left last night, I would have chosen you.”  
Lidia shot him a look when he said his last point and Alfie held up his hands in surrender.   
“Which I know now, you do not want to be a part of.”  
“I’ve been here a week and I’ve already made enemies. This is not going how I planned.” Lidia said with a chuckle.   
“Yeah, well it’s just Rosalie. I have a feeling you can hold your own against her.”  
“Not if it’s a screaming competition.”  
Alfie laughed. “Yeah, she was pretty fucking loud. If I hadn’t been so legless, I probably would have minded. Tell you what, because you have been put through so much distress in your first week on my streets, right, come to my bakery tomorrow morning around 10 and I will make it up to you.”  
Lidia thought about his offer before looking toward the front of the shoppe. “I have work. I haven’t got a worker yet. I want to see how business goes before I make that commitment.” Alfie nodded in defeat before she added, “But, I originally planned on having Ollie over for dinner tomorrow night.. And apparently, he is busy. I’ll be making too much for myself, so if you want to help me not waste food you can come for dinner. It can be your way of making it up to me and my way of apologizing for being rude to you more than once.”  
Alfie grinned. “Alright. But you don’t have to apologize. It’s almost refreshing to have a woman challenge me….. Almost.” He added giving her a pointed look and she smiled.  
The next evening Lidia rushed home and began preparing dinner. When there was a knock on her door, nervous butterflies erupted in her stomach. Why are you nervous? It’s just food. She told herself.  
She opened the door and smiled when she saw him standing there, a white pastry box in hand. She moved to the side and he entered her house.   
“Here you are.” He said as he handed her the box.   
“What’s this?”  
“Pastries from a patisserie in Piccadilly.”   
“Oh!Thank you, but you didn’t have to do that.” She said as she opened the box and examined the sweets inside.  
“Well, I don’t like to go anywhere empty handed, do I?”   
“Thank you, that’s very kind I will put them on a platter.” She said as she walked away and began arranging the sweets on a decorative platter.  
Alfie leaned against the doorframe in the kitchen and watched her. She could feel his eyes on her and the butterflies in her stomach began to intensify.   
“Do you always just watch people?” She asked.  
“Only through windows.” Alfie responded cheekily causing Lidia to laugh. “You look better in an apron that your brother does.” He said smoothly  
“Mr. Solomons, are you trying to flatter me?” she said playfully.  
“Well we are making nice, aren’t we? How’s business?”  
Lidia told him how the last two days have been since she opened. When she went to undo her apron, she pulled it into a knot.   
“Ugh. Can you help me?” She groaned as she finally gave up attempting to untie it.   
Lidia had intended to turn around and let him see the knot he was attempting to untie but Alfie had other plans. He walked to her, his eyes gleaming with possibility, and put his arms around her waist. His nose almost touched hers as he began undoing her apron and her breathing hitched. “There.” He said when he had successfully undone the knot.  
Lidia stepped back and removed her apron, stubbornly refusing to acknowledge the buildup between them.   
“Please,” Lidia said as she motioned to the table. “Have a seat.”  
Alfie sat as she filled both their plates.   
“So, why books?” Alfie asked as they ate.   
“Are you serious?” She asked and he raised his eyebrows. “Have you not ever got lost in a story and become so invested in the characters, it’s almost as if you can feel their emotion as you read it? Or flipped page to page, forgetting to eat or sleep because you have to know what happens next?”  
“No.” Alfie said, his face sporting a gentle grin.   
“No? Then you’re not reading the right books.” She said as she ate a bite of potato.   
“What’s your favorite?”   
“I don’t think I could choose. There are so many!”   
“Tell me about them.” Alfie said, his eyes soft and he watched her face light up as she began talking about her favorite books.  
Alfie ate and listened as she told him brief summaries of her favorite books.   
“I’m sorry.” Lidia said with an apologetic smile an hour later as they sat on her sofa drinking and eating the pastries he had brought. “I’ve completely stolen the conversation. You should have told me to shut up a long time ago.”  
“No.” Alfie said as he extended his arm to put a lock of auburn hair behind her ear. “I like listening to you talk about books.”  
Lidia scoffed an unbelieving laugh and looked down, as if embarrassed.  
“I do.” Alfie continued. “You telling me about them, it’s almost as if I’ve read them myself.”  
“I could talk about them forever. You know, there’s ten of us but I’m the only one of my siblings that enjoys reading.”   
“Ten? I thought it was just you and Ollie.”  
“Oh no. we have a younger brother and then seven older siblings. My older brothers are all burly factory workers up north and then my sisters were all married with children by the time they were 25. Then you have me and Ollie. We’ve always been closest to one another than any of our other siblings.”  
“And he talked you into coming here?”  
Lidia nodded. “I had been saving money since I was sixteen. When I finally had enough to start my shoppe, Ollie suggested I come here. And well, here we are.”  
“Here we are.” Alfie echoed as he began to twirl a piece of her auburn hair around his left middle finger.   
Their knees touched as they sat lazily on the sofa and Alfie’s right hand creeped to touch her knee. He drew circles on her skin with his finger before she started to lean towards him. They slowly leaned toward one another as his hand moved higher on her thigh. Their noses touched and Alfie buried his left hand in her hair, pulling her face closer. Lidia moved her face up and kissed him gently. They continued to kiss softly and gently, taking their time to taste one another. Lidia moved her hands from his shoulders to his neck and the back of his head as she began to lay back. Alfie deepened their kiss as he leaned over her.   
Still not rushing, he settled himself on top of her, his hands buried in her hair. She pulled her knees up, the dress of her skirt getting higher as she enjoyed the pressure of his body between her legs. Alfie removed his hand from her hair and placed it on her thigh again, moving it up to her hip. He began to put his hand in the top of her knickers as she released a soft, anticipating moan into their kiss.  
Before he could successfully begin to pull down her knickers the door burst open.  
“Hey Lidia, guess-“ Ollie said before he froze, spotting the scene he had just walked in on.  
Alfie growled in defeat as he bowed his head in her neck and then looked up at the ceiling saying, “I’m going to kill him.”


	6. Chapter 6

Alfie leaned up and Lidia fixed her skirt and closed her legs as Alfie stood.  
“Ollie? What’s going on?” Lidia asked, attempting to make the scene less awkward.  
Ollie’s ears and neck were red as he stared at his sister. Meanwhile, Alfie faced the wall opposite the sofa, too angry to look at Ollie.   
“Well? Are you alright?” Lidia asked again.  
“Yeah. I’m alright.” Ollie responded his tone emotionless. “Can I have a word with you?”  
At Ollie’s question Alfie turned around.  
“Alone.” Ollie added as he side-eyed Alfie.  
Alfie blinked at Ollie repeatedly, as if Ollie had threatened him before Alfie released a frustrated breath and ran his fingers through his hair.  
“Yes, alright.” Lidia said noticing Alfie’s reaction to her brother.   
“What do you think you are doing?” Ollie barked when they had walked in the other room.   
“Me?” She responded, taken aback.   
“Yes. You. I walk in and he’s on top of you!”   
“Yes, I am well aware. Thank you for that by the way.” Lidia added sardonically. “There is nothing like having your brother ruin the moment.”  
“I’m glad I did ruin the moment. Do you know what kind of man he is Lidia?”  
Lidia stared at him angrily.  
“He has women. A lot of them.”  
“What and you think I’m a virgin?” She replied rolling her eyes.  
“No, I know you’re not. But….” Ollie sighed. “You need to stay away from him. You WILL stay away from him.”  
“I- What?”” Lidia said raising her voice.  
“You heard me.” He said sternly.  
“Who the fuck do you think you are?” She said, her tone turning to a yell.   
“I’m your brother!” Ollie said beginning to yell back.   
“My YOUNGER brother! You do not get to tell me what to do!”  
“I will if it’s what’s best for you! And coming to Camden Town acting like a whore-”  
“GET OUT!”  
“NO! Now, Alfie Solomons is smart and-“  
“So that’s what this is? You are jealous because I’ve gotten closer to sleeping with him than you ever will?”  
Ollies face went red with anger. “I am NOT a fucking cock sucker!“  
“You sure? He’s all you ever talk about; you bend over backwards for him! I bet you’d like to bend over for him and- Ah!”  
Lidia put her hand over her cheek and looked at her brother. Ollie was red faced and breathing heavy. He relaxed his shoulders as the realization that he had struck his sister set in.   
“Lidia.. I’m sorry, I-“ He said, his face contorting with shock and grief at what he had done.  
“Get out.” She said, keeping her hand on her cheek.   
“D…” Ollie tried using her childhood nickname as he took a step toward her, but she took a step back.  
“I said get out.” She repeated again calmly.   
Ollie turned and walked out of the house, not looking at Alfie. Lidia rubbed her cheek and then walked into the sitting room where Alfie remained standing.   
“Lidia?” He asked as he examined her. “Are you alright?”  
“Yeah. I’m fine. Um, I think you should probably leave.” She said, not meeting his eye.  
“Your cheek is red. What happened?” He prodded as he walked toward her. As he got close, he could see she was shaking.   
“Lidia, what happened?” Alfie said as he lowered himself to meet her eyes. He looked closer at her cheek and saw the faint outline of a handprint. “Did he hit you?”  
“Yes.”   
“I’ll kill him.” Alfie said angrily as he turned toward the door.   
“No wait!” Lidia said as she grabbed Alfie’s hand. “We were fighting, I said some things I shouldn’t have and-“  
“It doesn’t matter what you said. You aren’t children. He’s a grown fucking man. He has no business laying a hand on you like that.”  
“He’s my brother, he didn’t mean it.”   
“Don’t. Don’t defend him like that.” Alfie said with a stern expression. “If he lays a hand on you, I lay a hand on him. Alright?”  
Lidia nodded.   
“Right. I should probably go.” He sighed as he knew the moment had well passed. “Are you alright?”   
“Yeah. I’ll be fine. I need to clean the kitchen. I don’t want rats; landlord might get upset.”  
Alfie chuckled and put his knuckle under her chin to bring her eyes to meet his.   
“I’m just across the street if you need me.” He said gently and Lidia smiled, ashamed of how the night had ended.  
Alfie leaned down and kissed her softly before saying, “until next time.” And he brushed her red cheek with his knuckle and left her house.   
The next morning Alfie was pleased to see Lidia’s curtains were open again. Though the night before didn’t end how he wanted it to, Alfie found himself in a cheerful mood as he walked into his bakery. Alfie sat himself at his desk and began looking at the morning’s paper. After an hour of waiting, Alfie called for Ishmael.   
“Where’s Ollie?” Alfie asked.  
“He’s in the back, marking barrels.” Ishmael answered.  
“Bring him here with an empty barrel and chalk.”  
Ten minutes later Ishmael brings a barrel and chalk and puts it where Alfie points as Ollie nervously shuffles in his office.  
“Thank you, treacle. You may go.” Alfie said animatedly to Ishmael, who leaves, and Alfie goes behind him, shutting the door.   
Ollie said nothing as Alfie walked to his desk to pick up the chalk and hold it up.   
“You were marking barrels?” Alfie asked and Ollie nodded. “Good. I want you to mark this one. Go on.”  
Ollie grabbed the chalk and walked to the barrel. “Who is it for?”  
“I want you to write your name on that barrel.”  
“My name, sir?”   
“Yes, your name.”  
Ollie stared at Alfie, fear and confusion in his eyes.   
“Mark the fucking barrel, Ollie.” Alfie said sternly.  
Kneeling, Ollie wrote his name and looked at his boss, “Date?”  
“No date. We will mark that later. Now, stand.”   
As Ollie stood, Alfie punched him as hard as he could in the gut, causing Ollie to double over. Alfie grabbed Ollie by the ears and lifted him as Ollie coughed.   
“You strike your sister again, and I will put you in that fucking barrel and ship you off the face of the fucking earth. Do you understand me?” Alfie growled in Ollie’s ear.  
Ollie nodded his understanding and Alfie let go of his ears. Ollie fell to the floor attempting to catch his breath.  
“Fuck off.” Alfie said when Ollie finally managed to stand, and Ollie obeyed.  
That evening, Alfie paused as he neared his door. Laying on the floor was a brown book. Examining it, he recognized the title as one of Lidia’s favorite she had told him about the night before. He grinned as he opened his door and fixed a drink. Sitting down, he opened the book and found a message written inside the front cover.   
9:30  
Puzzled, he looked in the back of the book to see if there were more. Not finding anything, Alfie determined the book was old and the note was not for him. He began reading the book and found himself understanding, to an extent, what Lidia had described when she read. Glancing up he noticed the clock on the mantle. 9:27 He paused for a moment and thought. Having an idea, he closed the book and walked to his room. He looked out his window and saw her. She stood in front of her bath as she had the first time he had watched her bathe.   
She looked as though she were going to look over her shoulder and then she looked ahead before dropping her robe to the floor, exposing her naked back.   
“She wanted me to watch?” Alfie asked in a whisper to himself.  
Lidia settled herself in the water and leaned her head back, her hair up and dry. She put her left hand on the side of the tub, which lay closest to the window. Alfie watched curiously as she put her right hand in the water. Lidia’s lips parted slightly, and her chest began to rise and fall with heavy breaths. He could tell by her shoulder that her hand was moving but he strained himself to see how.   
“No.” He said in unbelief as the corner of his mouth turned up. “She’s not-“ he started but his smile vanished as he saw the grip she had on the side of the bath grow tighter. He watched her head lean back and face contort with the pleasure that she was inflicting on herself. “Fucking hell.” He whispered as he watched her chest rise and fall, almost revealing her breasts over the bath.   
His trousers tightened more than he thought possible as he watched her pleasure herself. He could tell she was getting close. Right when he thought she was going to climax; she turned her head and locked eyes with him. He watched her, never blinking as she drove herself mad with her own hand. Finally, she threw her head back as her eyes rolled with her head and, though he couldn’t hear her, he watched her face as she cried out.   
He would have given anything at that moment to be in the water with her. When she came off her high, she looked at him again. She held his eyes and she stood, facing the window with her naked body. She walked to her bedroom and crawled, naked on the bed. She laid on her back and put her feet on the bed with her knees up before turning to look out her window at him again.   
That was the only invitation Alfie needed. He turned and ran down the stairs, jogging across the street to her house. He would not miss out on another opportunity and he wouldn’t get interrupted. As he neared her door a thought occurred to him.  
“Fucking hell, if this door is locked and she’s playing with me.” He mumbled as he reached for the handle.   
He released a breath when it opened and slammed it shut behind him as he made his way up the stairs and to her room. He opened her bedroom door to find her on her knees, facing the door, waiting for him.   
He walked swiftly to the bed and she threw her arms around his neck as he leaned down onto her. They kissed passionately before she reached for the bottom of his shirt to pull it off. When his shirt was thrown to the floor he reached down and undid his trousers. Once again afraid they would get interrupted, he quickly inserted himself. Lidia let out a beautiful moan as he filled her. Alfie growled in her ear as he felt how ready she had been for him. He thrust into her, mentally absorbing every sound she made.   
Because she had been so ready, it didn’t take long for her to start shaking beneath him.   
“Alfie.” She moaned and he clenched his jaw.   
She put her hands down the top of his trousers, grabbing his bum and pulling him as close as he could possibly be. “Alfie” she cried out again and she began to kiss his neck, working her way from his neck to his shoulder as he thrust into her. As soon as she made it to his shoulder, he shifted his hips, sending her over the edge.   
Lidia cried out before she snapped her jaw and bit his shoulder as he exploded inside her.  
“Fuck me.” He said as he rolled off of her.  
“Again?” She said before looking at him with a grin.  
“I think I’m fucking bleeding.” He said as he looked at his shoulder and she laughed.  
“I probably should have warned you. I have a tendency to bite.”  
“Really?” He said feigning surprise and she gave him a naughty grin.  
“I can bite harder if you’d like.” She said mischievously as she threw her leg over him.   
She bit his chest, pulling back with her teeth.   
“Ow.” He grumbled with a smile.   
She bit his stomach, then he said “Okay! That’s enough of that!” as she bit playfully close to his member. He grabbed her upper arms and pulled her up to him.   
“So, you bite, hm?” He asked.  
“Yes. Is that a problem.” She asked as she bit her lip seductively.   
“No. Just don’t bite my cock.”   
Lidia laughed and laid her head on his chest. “So, should I call Rosalie and tell her now….. or wait till you’ve gone?”  
It was Alfie’s turn to laugh. “What has gotten into you? You are acting very naughty tonight.” He said as he gazed into her hazel eyes.  
“Am I?”   
“Mhm. First you send me a message to watch you bathe and touch yourself, then you fucking bite me, now you’re trying to start a war with the women in my town.”   
“Would you prefer I don’t send you messages when I plan on touching myself?”   
“Oh no, treacle. Send them.” He said before he kissed her.  
“Alfie…” She said, the humor gone from her voice.  
“Hm?”  
“I’m planning on touching myself.” She said seriously then she burst out laughing as he growled playfully and rolled on top of her.   
“I don’t think so. You’ve had your fun tonight. It’s my turn.” He said as he slipped his hand between her thighs.


	7. Chapter 7

Lidia rolled over the next morning to find Alfie gone. She stretched and then curled into a ball under her sheets, her body still relaxed from the multiple orgasms she’d had the night before. When she finally arrived at work, she heard the bell above the door chime.   
“Hell-.. oh.” She said in disappointment as her brother walked through the door.   
“I came to apologize.” He said.  
Lidia didn’t respond as she looked at him with pursed lips.   
“I shouldn’t have struck you.” He continued.  
“No. You shouldn’t have.”  
“But you also shouldn’t have said what you did.”  
Lidia looked away and stuck her nose in the air, too stubborn to apologize for what she had said.   
“I need you to understand. I am only trying to look after you.” Ollie said, his voice apologetic. “Alfie has a way with women. They always fall for him, but he doesn’t want romance with any of them. He has women simply because he can, he doesn’t care about them.”  
“And you think I have never had sex with a man that I haven’t cared about?” Lidia retorted. “I am a grown woman, Ollie. Just because I have sex with someone doesn’t mean I want to marry them.”  
“I just don’t want you to get your heart broken.”  
Lidia sighed and looked at her brother. “Ollie, I don’t want romance. I want to have fun. That’s all. And who I choose to have fun with is not your decision. You don’t get to have an opinion about who I have between my legs. Understood?”  
Ollie nodded. “Adam fancies you.” He said after a moment. “That’s what I wanted to tell you when walked in on you and Alfie on the sofa.”  
“Adam?” Lidia responded as she walked through the stacks with her brother to ensure everything was in order.  
“Yes. He took a liking to you at the pub.”  
“Remind me, he’s the one with the stubble? Can he not grow a beard?”  
Ollie laughed, “He can. He just doesn’t like it, so he keeps it short. He wants to come by your shoppe but he’s too embarrassed.”  
“Why?”  
“He can’t read. Doesn’t want to embarrass himself in front of you looking at books.”  
“That’s nothing to be embarrassed about. Plenty of people can’t read.”  
“So, you want him to come by then?” Ollie asked, a smile appearing on his face.   
“I don’t know. I mean, he is attractive. But more importantly, he can’t read at all? Nothing?”   
“Not really. He knows his letters but that’s it.”  
“Tell him if he wants to learn to come by here one evening at closing and we can sit down. I have some simple story books for kids, I could teach him.”  
Ollie shook his head and grinned. “Is that really more important than him fancying you?”  
“Yes.” Lidia said pointedly.   
___________________________________________________  
Alfie sat down in his office and began going through orders. After a moment, he rubbed his shoulder and flinched. Not thinking anything of it he continued with his work. He could feel a bruise on his shoulder when he moved his arm and, struggling to remember what had happened to it, he moved his shirt. Alfie immediately shook his head and chuckled. On his shoulder was a dark purple bruise from Lidia’s bite.   
“And where have you been?” Alfie growled as Ollie walked in his office.  
“I went to Lidia’s shoppe to make things right between us.” Ollie answered.  
Alfie grunted his acknowledgement of Ollie’s response.   
_______________________________  
“Rosalie is here.” Ollie said later that afternoon.  
“What?”   
“Rosalie is outside. She wants to come in.”  
“Mm. What are you waiting for? Send her in.”  
“I came by your house last night.” Rosalie said as she entered his office. “Where were you?”  
“Out. But I am glad you’re here.” Alfie said as he stood.  
“Are you?” Rosalie responded with a smile, her eyes glinting with sexual desire.  
“Mm. I hear that you have been acting well above your station.”  
Rosalie’s face dropped into confusion. “What?”  
“I fuck you, Rosalie. But that is all. If you want to keep fucking me, I suggest you remember your place.”  
Rosalie looked at the floor for a moment before she looked up at Alfie with a mischievous smile. She walked behind his desk where he stood and looked up at him.   
“I remember my place, Alfie.” She said in a breathy voice as she began to undo his trousers.  
He looked down at her hands and cut his eyes up at hers. Rosalie freed him and slowly dropped to her knees. Alfie inhaled a breath and closed his eyes as she put her mouth around him.   
“Fuck.” He said through gritted teeth as he immediately hardened in her mouth.   
Rosalie let out a moan as she serviced him, and Alfie put his hand on her head. She continued her assault with her mouth, bringing him closer and closer until he grabbed a handful of her hair and pulled her up. Alfie picked up her thighs and placed her on his desk as she pulled up her skirt. He entered her quickly and thrust into her until they both found their release.   
Alfie stepped back and fastened his trousers as Rosalie jumped off his desk.   
“We could have had fun last night if you had been home.” She said as she straightened her skirt. “Maybe next time then.” She said with a flirtatious shrug and walked out of his office.  
Alfie shook his head and chuckled to himself. “I did have fun last night.” he mumbled.  
As he sat, he leaned his head back and growled. “I fucking love women!” he said as Ishmael walked into his office.  
“Don’t we all.” Ishmael said with a smile and a nod.  
“Now, what have you got for me?” Alfie said as he sat up, his mood elevated higher than he thought possible from the night before.  
“Jeweler won’t pay.” Ishmael reported.   
“What do you mean he won’t pay?”  
“He’s refusing. Says he’s paid too much already. You want me to send Adam?”  
“No, no. I could use a bit of sport. But it will have to be tomorrow, I have other meetings today.”  
The following day, Lidia was getting ready to close her shoppe when she heard the door chime. Looking up she saw Alfie standing in front of the door.   
“What are you still doing here?” He asked with a smile.  
“Were you coming to steal from me?”   
“Absolutely. Why else would I be here?”  
Lidia’s face split into a grin at his playfulness. She glanced at his hands which rested on his gold cane and noticed his knuckles were bloody.   
“Are you hurt?”   
“No.”  
“So that’s not your blood?” She asked motioning to his hands.  
“No.” Alfie said as if everything were completely normal.  
“I don’t want to know, do I?”  
“Probably not.” He said with a halfhearted shrug.  
“Alright. Well, what are you really doing here?” She asked as she began to walk around the stacks, ensuring the place looked good before closing.  
“I had business down the way. Thought I would stop in, see how your business is.”  
“Business is actually very good. I think I will be able to hire a worker after all.”  
Alfie followed her around the stacks as they talked. “Good. Then you will have time away.”  
Lidia turned to him as she reached the back stack against the wall. “And what would I do with time away?”  
Alfie stepped toward her and put his hands on the stacks on each side of her head. “I can think of many things you could do.”  
Lidia hummed a “hmm” before she put her hands on his collarbone and moved them behind his head, pulling him closer. Reaching up, she kissed him. They kissed deeply but gently. She used her tongue to brush his and she softly bit his lip. Alfie reached under her dress and slid down her knickers.   
“These get in the way.” He said in her ear.  
“They teach you patience.” She responded breathily.  
“I don’t need patience.”   
“You, Mr. Solomons, need patience more than any man I’ve ever met.”  
He picked her up by her thighs after he freed himself and looked at her.   
“I didn’t get where I am by being patient.” He said before he pushed into her hard.   
Lidia smiled as she gasped when he entered her. He held her against the stack while he continued his hard thrusts. Alfie watched as Lidia tilted her head back, enjoying his movements inside her. He kissed her neck and put his hands on her shirt before he ripped it open, causing buttons to fly in every direction. He reached inside her bra and pulled out her breasts, tasting each one as he did so. He sucked on her breasts, flicking her nipples with his tongue as her moans got louder with each thrust of his hips.   
Lidia grabbed the sides of his face and moved them to hers. She kissed him deeply, putting his bottom lip between hers and biting aggressively. He could feel her legs begin to shake around his waist and he grabbed a handful of her hair. She looked at him with a snarl and ran her teeth across the bottom of her teeth. He knew what she wanted him to do. He pulled her hair back aggressively and she cried out in ecstasy as she tightened around him. Hearing her pleasure pushed him over the edge and he poured himself into her.   
Alfie stood, pinning Lidia against the wall until he was confident they could both move without collapsing. Lidia pulled on her knickers and closed her shirt as best she could.   
“So, are you going to sew my buttons back on since you have so much patience?” She asked with a cheeky expression.  
“No but if you find the buttons, I will have my maid put them back on.”  
“Oh, you have a maid? How posh.” She teased before she asked. “Is that why you stopped in after your ‘business’? To have a go at me in the stacks?”  
Alfie laughed. “No. I thought if you were done here, you might want company on your way home.”  
Lidia stared at him suspiciously. “Alright. Let me grab my bag.”  
“Do you tell all your men about your conquests?” Lidia asked as they began their journey home.  
“No. Who I fuck is none of their business.”  
“They know though. That you have a lot of women.”  
“Women talk. I don’t need to brag about it. One, because I am a man not a fucking teenager and secondly, because I know the women will tell.”  
“So, you let them brag for you?” She asked pointedly and Alfie laughed. “My brother doesn’t want me having sex with you.” She added after a short pause.  
“Oh?”  
“That’s what we had the argument over. He told me I wasn’t allowed to sleep with you, and I told him he was jealous that you wanted me and not him to bend over for you. Then he struck me.”   
“And did he give a reason as to why you were not allowed to fuck me?”   
“He said that you have women simply because you can and that you don’t ever care about them. And I told him it was none of his concern and that I want to have fun; I’m not looking to get married.”  
“Fun?” Alfie said as he looked at her with raised eyebrows.  
“Yes.”  
“Hmm.” He grunted cheerfully. “That does have possibility, doesn’t it? Also, I finished that book.”  
“And?” Lidia said as excitement filled her body. “What did you think?”  
Alfie laughed internally as he saw her reaction. “It was alright.”  
“Alright? Alright? That book is more than ‘alright’!” She said, shock spreading across her face.  
Alfie’s eyes grew soft as he looked at her, “I prefer your account of it more than my actual reading it.”  
“Why?”   
Alfie didn’t answer, he simply kept walking and when they reached their houses, they went their separate ways. It was a good book, he’ll admit, but he enjoyed watching her light up when she talked about it. He laid in bed, an arm behind his head, staring at the ceiling. He replayed their conversation in his head, pausing mentally when he saw the excited look on her face when he brought up her book. He smiled a crooked grin before he closed his eyes and drifted to sleep.


	8. Chapter 8

Because the day was slow, Lidia closed early to enjoy the last bit of Friday sun. She sat on the front steps of her house reading her book. Alfie grunted as he sat beside her and she cut her eyes up at him, a smile barely visible on her face.  
“Shouldn’t you be hitting people or something?” She said cheekily as she turned her eyes back toward her book.   
Alfie laughed. “Shouldn’t you be selling books?”  
“It was slow, and I needed some sun. So, I decided to read instead of sell.” She said, never taking her eyes off her book.  
“Mm. What are you reading?”  
Lidia held up her book so he could see the title.  
“Well, go on then.” Alfie said as he leaned back on his elbows and tilted his face to soak the warmth of the sun.  
Lidia looked at him and smiled. “You want me to read aloud?”  
“I didn’t come over here to read the page with you.”   
“Oh, no. King Alfie has his books read to him.”   
“Damn right I do. Now, read to me peasant girl.”  
Lidia burst out into laughter and Alfie absorbed it with a smile. She shook her head, looked at her book and began reading out loud. Alfie listened to her, imagining the story as she read it. After a while he opened his eyes and lazily turned his body toward her, watching her read. Occasionally, Lidia would flick her eyes flirtatiously at his until he started twirling a piece of her auburn hair around his finger.   
“You’re distracting me.” She said.  
“Am I?” He asked, continuing to play with her hair.   
Lidia looked at his lips and hers parted in anticipation of tasting him. She began leaning her head toward him when she noticed a figure coming toward them out the corner of her eye. She glanced over to see Rosalie walking in their direction, her eyes boring angrily into Lidia.   
“Fuck.” Lidia groaned and sat up straight.   
Alfie looked over his shoulder to see what had turned Lidia from him and sighed.   
“Rosalie.” He said flatly when she arrived in front of him.  
“Alfie. I was just coming to see you.” She said, poorly attempting to hide her anger.   
“Were you?” he responded as he looked at her unamused.   
“Yes, I thought you would be in your office.” There was an awkward pause as Lidia stared at her book, pretending to read with pursed lips. In an attempt to break the silence, Rosalie said, “Would you like to go back to your place?”  
Lidia’s eyes shot up toward Alfie and she raised her eyebrows at him as she suppressed a smile.  
“Maybe later, Rosalie.” Alfie responded and Lidia coughed as she attempted to hide a chuckle.  
Rosalie’s cheeks began to redden, and she clenched her jaw. “Fine. I’ll come back later. When you’re home.” And she turned and walked away.  
“Oh, she is going to be very cross with you.” Lidia said.   
Alfie sighed. “By tomorrow she will be over it.”  
“Tomorrow?”   
“Mm. At the latest.”  
“Do you spend every weekend at the pub?”  
“’Course!” He said as if he were proud of it.  
“You don’t ever grow weary of spending every weekend legless with a bunch of different women?”  
Alfie furrowed his brow at her. “What else would I do?”  
“I don’t know. Spend the weekend at home, enjoying the quiet.”  
“Why?” He asked, a look of deep concern on his face.  
“Because it can be nice. No expectations or duties. Just enjoying the day without a headache. You could wake up early and go for a walk or…..” She stopped seeing the look on Alfie’s face.  
“I thought you said you wanted to have fun?”  
“I do, and I enjoy going to the pub, but I also think staying in at night can be enjoyable occasionally.”  
“I will take your word for it. Now, where were we?” He said as he put his knuckle under her chin and turned it toward him.   
They kissed, their tongues dancing with one another.   
“Let’s go in.” He suggested.  
Lidia kissed him forcefully, pushing him down before she shot up and ran inside her house, closing the door behind her. Alfie smiled as he stood and burst in her door. He could hear her giggling and he said, “Why can’t anything be easy with you?” with a laugh.  
“What fun would that be?” She said and he began to follow her voice. He ran in the kitchen and found a shoe laying in the floor.   
He continued to follow her discarded attire around the house, awaiting to find his prize. When he found her undergarments, his desire to find her grew, knowing she was naked. Alfie closed his eyes and listened. He could hear the patting of her bare feet on the wood floor and he turned the corner before he grabbed her around the waist.   
“HA!” He exclaimed, “You’re going to have to get better than that.”  
She reached up and planted her lips on his, shoving her tongue in his mouth. He pushed her against the wall and used a finger to run up her thigh. She moaned when he put his finger inside her, using his thumb to rub circles on her clit. He could feel her grow wetter as he inserted a second finger. With his other hand, he grabbed her breast, pulling gently at her nipple. Her breathing quickened as he continued to please her with his hands.  
“Mm. Lidia..” He growled in her ear and she let out a small gasp of pleasure.   
He could feel her legs shake as she stood against the wall. When he felt her wetness begin to run down the inside of her thigh, he couldn’t contain himself. He picked her up and carried her to the dining room, laying her on the table. He undid his trousers and followed her. Unable to wait for him, she leaned on her knees and kissed him as he crawled on the table after her. She slung her leg over him, and he wrapped his arm around her waist. She lowered herself onto him with ease as he had prepared her for his thickness. She began to move her hips and Alfie devoured her breast.   
The table shook as she moved on top of him and Alfie had a brief thought of concern for its stability, but his concern evaporated as Lidia began to moan louder. She was enjoying herself, bouncing on top of him and he enjoyed watching and feeling her. She pushed him back, forcing him to lay and Lidia locked her eyes on his as she began to quiver around him. She kissed him, biting his lip and then moved her mouth down to his neck. He knew she was anticipating her arrival and he readied himself for her teeth. He grabbed her hips as she began to slow, her pleasure growing, preventing herself from maintaining the same speed. He moved her hips for her until she pulsated around him, her teeth digging into the meat of his clavicle. At her bite, Alfie immediately released inside her.   
She breathed heavy on top of him, her body covered in sweat. She looked down at him and shook her head.  
“My brother eats at this table.” She said and Alfie couldn’t contain his laughter as he leaned up and kissed her.   
Rosalie came over that night just as she said she would and became Alfie’s second of the day. As he walked into the pub the following night, he found himself disappointed that Lidia wasn’t there but quickly allowed rum to take over.   
Monday evening, Lidia heard her door chime. Walking to the front she found Adam turning to walk out.  
“Hello?” She said quickly and he froze.  
Adam turned awkwardly around, patting his leg casually as he fought his anxiety.  
“Um, hello. I wasn’t sure I wanted to do this, but…. Ollie said that you offered to help me?”  
“Of course. I’d be happy to. Follow me.” She said as she waved for him to follow and she picked some children’s books.”  
Lidia sat down with Adam, who finally began to relax, and they began talking about reading and letters. She agreed to help him four days a week in the evenings when Alfie didn’t need him for something. Over the next few days, Adam spent every evening at Lidia’s shoppe. While their intention was to teach him to read, they spent half of their time talking about other things. He told her stories of the sort of work he does for Alfie and she told him about her childhood. Lidia knew he fancied her, but she wasn’t expecting him to be so vulnerable. She had heard about him from Ollie and met him at the pub, but the more time she spent with him the more she found he was not just muscle. He was thoughtful and sweet and she began to take a liking to him as more than just a student.  
“Adam, it’s been only three days and you are doing so well!” Lidia praised on the Wednesday following the start of his lessons.  
“Thanks, I go home and practice.”  
“That’s good!”  
“I want to impress you.” Adam confessed and Lidia stared at him. “That’s why I wanted to learn to read, if I’m being honest. Ollie says you like to read. It sounds ridiculous now that I say it out loud.” He dropped his eyes to the table and Lidia’s heart constricted with compassion.   
“You succeeded.” She said gently and he looked up at her, a kind smile on his face. “I am impressed.”  
“I’ve enjoyed spending the past three evenings with you, Lidia. I think you’re beautiful and smart and…” he said as he put a hand on hers.  
They stared into each other’s eyes for a moment before Adam said, “Can I kiss you?”  
“Yes.” Lidia agreed and he leaned in, kissing her softly.   
“Do you have plans on Saturday?” He asked.  
“No.” she said shaking her head, the feeling of his kiss still on her lips.   
“Can I take you to dinner? And then we can go to the pub together to meet the lot?”  
Lidia thought for a moment. The last time she went to the pub it didn’t end well but now was different. If she were going with Adam, Rosalie would have no reason to start an argument with her and she knew Alfie wouldn’t care because they were only having sex, nothing romantic.   
“Alright.” She agreed and was pleased to see his smile.


	9. Chapter 9

Alfie hadn’t seen Lidia all week other than when he would glance out his window and see her reading or falling asleep with her book. When Saturday evening came, he looked out to find her house dark.   
__________________________  
Adam came to get Lidia at sunset and the two of them set off for a small café. Lidia felt awkward, not having been out with a man in this setting for some time.   
“I didn’t know if you would want to go somewhere more formal or..” He said, his thin lips giving a smirk.   
“No, this is lovely. I’ve always felt out of place in formal restaurants.” She replied.  
“Me too.”   
They sat silently in their seats until a waiter came to take their orders. They made small talk, commenting on the weather and small goings on in the community until Adam said, “I haven’t been out with someone like this in a long time.”  
“I haven’t either. If I’m being honest, I almost hate it. There always seems to be so much pressure.”  
Adam laughed, “I thought I was the only one that felt that way.”  
“No! it’s awful! It’s like you must impress them no matter what. And men lie, oh my word do they lie! They will tell a woman all kinds of crazy things. One time I had a man tell me that he drove a train and it wouldn’t stop so he stopped it himself with his bare hands.”  
“What?” Adam responded, his deep green eyes squinting in the corners.  
“Yes! He said he jumped out of the moving train, ran ahead of it and stopped it with his hands. Needless to say, I made up an excuse to leave early.”  
“Well I can assure you, I’ve never stopped a train with my bare hands. But I have wrestled a gorilla.”  
“Have you?” Lidia said with a smile.  
“No. Not unless you count Alfie.”  
Lidia laughed and their conversation continued, the awkward ice broken. When they finished eating, they made their way to the pub. When they opened the door, Alfie immediately looked over and spotted them.   
Alfie’s brow furrowed as he watched them walk in together and grab drinks before joining the group.   
“And where have you two been?” Alfie asked, a strange wave spread from the top of his head to the bottom of his feet and then settled like a bubble in his stomach.   
“We had dinner before we came.” Lidia answered nonchalantly. “So, what are we talking about?” She asked the group.  
Alfie stared at her for a moment before turning his eyes to Adam. Adam drank his whiskey, oblivious to Alfie’s gaze. Alfie attempted to shake the feeling he couldn’t describe.   
After half an hour, Adam had enough whiskey in him to brave reaching for Lidia’s hand, which she allowed, and their hands sat with their fingers intertwined on her lap. Alfie watched as Adam’s hand moved over and settled in Lidia’s lap and his jaw clenched. Unable to stop himself, Alfie reached and put his hand on Rosalie’s knee.   
Because this was not a normal “Alfie” move, Rosalie looked at him.   
“What?” He asked.  
“Nothing.” She responded, not wanting his hand to move.   
“Come here.” He said in a low voice and he wrapped his arm around her and moved her into his lap.   
Lidia watched him put her in his lap and her lip snarled slightly in disgust. Alfie noticed and raised his eyebrows at her. Lidia pursed her lips and rolled her eyes, turning her attention back to the group’s conversation.   
Alfie couldn’t explain why it gave him satisfaction to see Lidia bothered by him and Rosalie, nor could he explain why it bothered him seeing Lidia with Adam… but it did. He continued to put his hands on Rosalie’s thigh and her back, coaxing her with affection he never normally would have given her. Rosalie beamed as she put her arm around Alfie’s neck.   
The disgust on Lidia’s face grew with each caress of Alfie’s hand on Rosalie and when Rosalie leaned in to kiss him, he reciprocated and kissed her with a gentleness that made Lidia turn away, her ears burning as they turned red. Adam, meanwhile, never noticed Lidia looking at the pair of them, not unlike the remainder of the group. Instead, Adam’s thumb softly caressed Lidia’s hand as he held it.  
Lidia looked at their hands and the way he caressed hers and smiled before looking up at Adam, who looked down and smiled back. Unable to stand the look they were giving each other, Alfie roughly moved Rosalie off his lap and walked to the toilet. He looked in the mirror and ran his hand across his beard.   
“Fuck me. What is this?” He asked himself. “You don’t get jealous, Alfie. You can have any fucking woman you want. Who cares if she is out with another man? You fucked her yesterday, you could fuck her tomorrow. One night doesn’t change that, it’s not as if Rosalie hasn’t fucked other men. You don’t care about that!”  
Feeling he had successfully talked himself out of his emotion, Alfie walked back to their table, where he found Lidia and Adam gone.   
“Where did they go?” Alfie asked grumpily.   
“Left.” Ollie said with a shrug.   
“Yeah, leaving early so they can shag on the rug till morning!” One of the men said, making crude motions on the table.  
“No. Adam doesn’t shag. He ‘makes love’” Ishmael said mockingly.   
“Honestly, she’s my sister!” Ollie said, an uncomfortable look on his face.  
“And you think she doesn’t shag?” Ishmael asked.  
“Yeah, mate. Look at her!” The other man said, “I’d shag her here on this table in front of all you if she’d let me.”  
“Look, I know she does, but I don’t want to talk about it if I don’t have to.”  
The bubble in Alfie’s stomach began to reappear but he inhaled a deep breath to push it down.   
“How many girls do you want tonight?” Rosalie asked, hoping he would say just her.  
Deciding women were the best solution to extinguishing whatever feeling he had about Lidia and Adam, he said, “Bring the girls from last time.”  
______________________________________  
Lidia walked with Adam, their fingers still intertwined, to her house. He walked her up her steps and stopped at the door.   
“Do you want to come in?” She asked as she looked up at him through her lashes.   
Adam didn’t respond, he simply nodded as he leaned down and kissed her. Lidia opened the door and the two of them walked in. Lidia turned as he closed the door behind him and leaned up on her toes to kiss him. She began to unbutton him out of his shirt as he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close. They walked to the stairs, Adam keeping her body against his and she could feel his erection on the bottom of her stomach. As they reached the stairs, he lifted her and began carrying her up. She gave him breathy directions to her room between deep, passionate kisses. He laid her gently on the bed and finished pulling off his unbuttoned shirt and threw it to the corner.   
Lidia admired his strong arms, running her hands up them to his shoulders and down through his dark chest hair. He leaned over her and ran his hand up her skirt, grabbing the top of her stockings and slowly pulling each one to her foot, taking his time as his knuckles brushed her legs. He kissed her ankle and moved his mouth up to her knee before he leaned back over her and kissed her lips as he slipped off her knickers. Finally, he reached for the bottom of her skirt and pulled her dress and slip over her head. She ran her foot up the outside of his leg, throwing it over his hip.  
He buried his head in her neck and kissed below her ear as he undid his trousers and slipped them down to his knees. He slipped inside her and she hummed with pleasure in his ear. He pushed into her, slowly and deeply as they kissed, their tongues passionately dancing with one another.   
“Faster Adam, please.” She whispered in his ear.  
Adam pushed into her faster and closed his eyes as her moans began to drive him mad inside her. As she began to buildup around him, she kissed his prickly jaw line and worked her way to his neck. He leaned back onto his knees, wrapping his arms around her waist to bring her with him. She moved her hips, enjoying the friction the new position gave her. She moved her hips faster, using her feet behind him for support. Her buildup had become too much for her when she buried her face in the crook of his neck and she pulsated around him, digging her teeth into the base of his neck. Adam followed her climax with his own.   
Lidia fell back onto her bed and looked over, seeing Alfie’s dark windows. She rose and closed her curtains, not wanting him and his women to see her and Adam when they returned to Alfie’s house. As she walked back to the bed, she pulled the sheets back and her and Adam crawled into them. She laid her head on his strong and hairy chest and the two of them drifted to sleep.   
__________________________________  
Alfie stumbled into his house, the women behind him. As he entered his room he looked up and noticed Lidia’s curtains were closed. Why are they closed? Is she home? He asked himself. Is he in there with her? Questions and thoughts ran through his head as he stared at her window.   
Alfie attempted to turn his attention to the women but found himself pausing to look toward the window, even as one of the women bounced on top of him.  
Unable to keep his focus inside his room, he said, “Get out.” And the women all froze.   
“What?” Rosalie asked.   
“Get out. All of you.” He said as he pushed the brunette woman off him and sat on the edge of the bed.   
Looking over, he found all the women staring at him, then at one another in confusion.   
“FUCK OFF!” He barked and the women jumped and began scurrying around attempting to find their belongings. All the women headed towards the exit and he said, “Wait…. Rosalie, you may stay.”   
Sensing something was amiss, Rosalie made sure all the women left and walked back into his room where she found him putting the sheets back on the bed over him.   
“Is everything alright?” She asked.   
“We’re going to sleep.” He said.  
“And you want me to stay?” She asked not understanding.  
“Yes.” He said as he nodded his head.  
She undressed to her slip once more and got into bed where he put him arm out for her to come closer. She laid her head on his chest and Alfie put his hand in her long blonde hair. He closed his eyes as he twisted a lock around his finger, imagining it was shorter and auburn.


	10. Chapter 10

Alfie cursed himself all Sunday. He loved women in general but had never fallen for one woman in particular. To Alfie, the thought of love was laughable. Love meant you were weak, and he would not allow himself to fall for anyone. He refused to be jealous. After a thorough berating of himself for his behavior Saturday, he walked into work Monday prepared to continue through life as he always had.   
The first four hours were a success but then he heard the men laughing as they ate lunch.   
“Do I pay you lot to giggle like little girls?” Alfie said, no threat evident in his tone.   
“We were just laughing at Adam’s love mark.” Ishmael said.  
Alfie looked at Adam, who shook his head at Ishmael.   
“Go on! Show him!” Ishmael continued and the men laughed, with the exception of Ollie whose ears were red with embarrassment.   
Adam looked at the men angrily before he rolled his eyes and leaned his head to the side, exposing a bite sized bruise on the base of his neck.   
A cold wave of anger washed over Alfie’s body again as he looked at the bite mark Lidia had left on his worker.  
“He said she bit him during sex!” Ishmael said as he doubled over laughing.   
“Some women like it rough.” Alfie said shrugging, attempting to fight the desire to yell at the group.  
“Yeah, well Adam almost shit himself when she did it!” Ishmael laughed.   
“I did not. It just surprised me.”  
“What’s wrong? Tough Adam can’t handle a woman’s mouth?” Another one of the men said and the group laughed.  
Alfie would have given anything to find this humorous, but his eyes remained fixated on Adam’s neck and the proof that he had given Lidia enough pleasure to warrant a bite for the world to see.   
“Get to work.” Alfie said gruffly.  
“Oh, c’mon boss. We-“ the other man started but was cut off when Alfie wrapped his hand around his neck.   
“I said, get back to fucking work.” Alfie repeated calmly to the man, but his grip and his eyes spoke in a different tone.  
Alfie released the man and the group looked at each other and began working once more. He walked back to his office and sat, his jaw clenched as he rubbed his temples. The remainder of the afternoon, Alfie stared nastily out the window of his office at Adam, who could feel Alfie’s gaze.   
Adam cleared his voice as he walked in the room. “Boss? Do you.. need me for something?” he asked unsure if this was the reason for Alfie’s hostile stare.  
“Yes. I need rent collected from all my properties on Camden Road.” Alfie said, his fist clenched.  
“Absolutely. I will do that first thing in the morning.” Adam suggested.  
Alfie’s eyebrows shot up. “Will you?”  
“Well, it’s nearly the end of the day. I hoped to go by Lidia’s shoppe for a lesson. She’ll be expecting me, sir.”  
Alfie grunted a nod. “She’ll be expecting you.” He repeated as he stood. “Adam. What do I pay you to do?”  
Adam said nothing, knowing this was a rhetorical question.   
“Do I pay you to read?” Alfie asked as he approached Adam.  
Adam shook his head as he stared ahead.  
“Do I pay you to fuck Ollie’s sister?”  
Adam started to look at Alfie but stopped himself and he shook his head again.   
Alfie’s chest was touching Adam’s shoulder and Alfie leaned in and growled, “Then do what I pay you to do or I will have Ollie mark a fucking barrel with YOUR NAME ON IT!”  
Adam clenched his jaw at Alfie’s threat. Though Adam’s shoulders were broader, Alfie was stronger, smarter, and more violent. Adam had a lot of respect for Alfie and considered him a friend most of the time, but when he made a threat, Adam knew Alfie would follow through if he were pushed.   
“I’ll take care of it tonight.” Adam said as Alfie stared at him through squinted eyes.   
“Fuck off!” Alfie barked and Adam left toward Camden Road.  
__________________________________  
Lidia was preparing the shoppe to close and getting out the book she and Adam had been working on when the bell above her door chimed. Expecting to see Adam she turned around and paused.   
“Alfie. What are you doing here?” She asked surprised.   
Alfie didn’t respond, instead he took in her body, looking from her feet and working his eyes up.   
Seeing the lustful expression in his eyes as he walked toward her, Lidia turned around to face the counter and said, “Where’s Rosalie?”   
“I don’t care.” He said in a low husky voice in her ear before he traced his nose lightly up her neck and kissed below her jaw line.  
“Um…” She stammered as she attempted to regain her thoughts. “You… uh,…..I-…. Adam will be here any minute.” She said, her body responding to feeling Alfie against her back.   
“No, he won’t. He’s working tonight.” Alfie breathed in her ear as he slid his hands up her dress.   
He put his thumbs in the top of her knickers and pushed them down to pool at her ankles, which she quickly stepped out of. He remained behind her, kissing her neck and she leaned her head back and over, giving in to his seduction. He kept her pressed against the counter, his body against her back and she could feel his large erection against her. He stepped back briefly, his face still on her neck as he continued to kiss and suck, and he undid his trousers. He lifted her skirt and she pushed her hips back to give him access to her.   
Alfie eased into her and she released a moan as she leaned her head back against his shoulder. He could see down the top of her dress and admired her breasts as she breathed heavily with lust. He pushed into her, pinning her against the counter as he resumed his assault on her neck. She put her hand on the back of his head as he sucked on her, tracing her neck with his tongue.   
He thrust into her, hearing everything on the counter rattle as he did so. After a few moments of hearing her soft moans, he put his hand under the front of her dress. She gasped as his hand began to give her the friction she desired. He rubbed on her, determined to find the exact spot and motion to make her unravel as his thrusts became harder. Suddenly she gave a loud moan and her legs went weak as she began to tighten around him, and he knew he had found it. He continued, as she used one hand to grasp a handful of his hair behind her and used the other to make a fist in the papers on her counter.   
Her noises turned into a mix of loud moans and sensual cries as she relinquished the papers and reached that hand behind her, grabbing ahold of the leg of his trousers in her fist.   
“Alfie!” She moaned loudly. “I’m….” She started but stopped as her pleasure began to overpower her.   
She whined twice more before she cried out, pulling his hair and trousers uncontrollably and losing the power to stand as her legs gave out. Alfie held her waist, keeping her up, and continued to thrust into her and use his hand to hold her over that edge. Finally, her tight pulsations pushed him to meet her in her orgasm and he thrust once more before filling her with his climax.   
She breathed heavy, her head still against his shoulder and her legs still weak. He removed his mouth from her neck and continued to hold her tight around the waist as he listened to her shaking breath. They blissfully stood against each other, not saying a word until she had regained the strength in her legs, and he released her.   
She smoothed the wrinkled papers on her counter and turned to him. He looked at her with a smug expression, his eyes sparkling with some sort of dark pleasure.   
“What?” She asked, eying him suspiciously.   
“Nothing.” He replied and his eyes flicked to her neck.   
“Then why are you looking at me like that?” She asked beginning to feel self-conscious.  
“Like what?” a mischievous smile emerging on his face.  
“I don’t know, like you-“ Lidia’s eyes glanced at her reflection in the window and she froze as she attempted to decipher what she was seeing.   
She ran to the window that acted as a mirror since the night had taken over. On her neck, below her jaw line lay a dark round love bite left behind from his assault on her neck.   
“Alfie! What have you done?” She blurted out as she turned to him, her eyes wide.   
He had marked her.


	11. Chapter 11

“Look at this!” Lidia said pointing to her neck. “What were you thinking?”   
Lidia rubbed her neck as she looked at her reflection.  
“Yeah, that’s not coming off tonight, treacle.” Alfie said arrogantly with a smile.  
“People will see this! What am I supposed to tell them?” She said in a panic.  
Alfie shrugged. “Don’t tell them anything.”  
“It’s not that simple. Adam will see it! He will ask!”  
“So, tell him.”  
Lidia stared at him in disbelief and then she huffed past him to gather her things.   
“What? You can bite me till I bruise but I can’t suck on your neck?”  
“That’s different and you know it” She huffed.   
“So, what? The two of you shagging exclusively now?” Alfie asked mockingly, attempting to get a rise out of her.  
“I don’t know what we are doing. But I don’t think he expects me to have THIS on my neck two days after we….” She stopped.  
“After you what? Fucked?”  
“Yes. After we fucked.”  
“I fucked Rosalie the day after you bit me for the first time. And a couple hours after I fucked you against your wall. What difference does it make?”  
“Things could be different…. With me and Adam?”  
“Different how?”  
“I don’t know. He doesn’t want to just fuck. He wants…. Well, I don’t know what he wants. And now I might not ever know.” She said as she touched her neck and looked in the window one last time. “So, thank you for that!” She said in sarcastic anger as she marched out the door, leaving him behind in her shoppe.   
_______________________________________  
Alfie went to bed pleased with himself and awoke feeling just as cheerful. His cheerfulness remained until the afternoon of the following day and he decided to give them men a break from work.   
“Ollie!” He called and Ollie came bustling in. “Prepare the back room, let’s have some sport.”  
Ollie’s smile broke out and he grabbed Ishmael and Adam and the three of them put up ropes in the backroom to make a ring.  
Stewart, an older fellow that worked for Alfie, ran the ring, calling forward fighters and breaking up brawls that broke out. They each had their go, Alfie sitting back watching.   
“Who’s next?” Stewart called.   
“Adam!” A group of men called, and they pushed him toward the ring as he smiled.   
“And who will go against him? Hmm?” Stewart called as Adam took off his shirt, but no one responded.  
“Alright. I’ll give it a go.” Alfie said as he stepped forward and began taking off his own shirt.  
Everyone, including Adam smiled. Alfie and Adam had fought more than once in this setting, always friendly sport. The two men grinned as they took half-hearted swings at each other, attempting to warm up their muscles. Adam swung with his left fist and Alfie dodged it. When he did, Alfie’s eye caught the dark bruise on Adam’s neck and Alfie’s smile left him. He met Adam’s eyes with his own and swung, hitting Adam on the cheek with a brutal force. Adam stumbled back and looked at Alfie with a questioning smile. Adam swung again and Alfie used his arm to block before he uppercut Adam in the stomach.   
Adam fell to his knees and coughed before looking up. He could see Alfie’s smile was gone and that he wasn’t taking this match as friendly sport, he was serious. Adam stood and swung at Alfie, hitting him in the jaw. It was Alfie’s turn to stumble back. He licked his lip and, tasting blood, flew at Adam. Alfie dodged Adam’s swing and punched him as hard as he could in the eye. Adam fell to his hands and knees and looked up in time to see another jab coming at his face.   
The crowd around them went quiet as Alfie got on top of Adam and began swinging at his head. Adam pulled his head in tight, protecting it from punches with his arm. Alfie punched Adam’s stomach, causing Adam to move his hands and Alfie attacked his head.  
“Alfie! Stop!” Ollie yelled from the crowd.  
Instead, Alfie punched Adam with both arms, one blow right after the other until Adam lost consciousness and Stewart ran forward. Alfie continued to hit Adam and not until Ishmael joined Stewart’s attempts, was he pulled off.   
_____________________________________  
Lidia watched for Adam, unsure if he would come or if he was working again. She fussed with the scarf she had tied around her neck as she waited. An hour after she closed, she decided he wasn’t coming and she walked to the shelf to put the book away. In the corner of her eye, she saw a stumbling figure and turned her head to see Adam leaned against the outside of the door, his face and clothes bloody.   
“Dear god, what happened to you?” She said as she opened the door and he flung an arm over her shoulder.   
She supported him, her hand on his chest, as she helped him walk in and sit in her office.   
Lidia dropped to her knees to be level with his face. “Adam? What happened?” she asked as she untied her scarf and began to wipe the blood off his face.  
“Friendly sport.” He mumbled.  
“THIS is friendly?”  
She looked at his face, one eye was cut and bleeding, the other purple and swollen. He had a cut on his hairline above his forehead and the corner of his mouth was bruised. He breathed slowly and leaned forward, putting his head on her shoulder.  
“Adam? Do you need to go to the hospital? I can get Ollie, we-”  
“No.” He said softly as he shook his head. “I’ll be alright. I just need to rest.”  
“Then why didn’t you go home to rest? You still have a long walk to your house.”  
“I wanted to tell you I wasn’t coming. I can’t read.”  
Lidia wrapped her arms around him and held him for a moment. “Will you please tell me what happened?”  
“We were having some sport. Alfie had us set up a ring in the back room. We’ve done it before, loads of times.” He said before he paused and groaned, no doubt in pain.   
“Who did you fight? And how many times?”  
“Just once. Alfie.”  
“Alfie did this to you?” Lidia asked pulling herself back and holding his face in her hands his eyes barely open and unfocused.  
Adam nodded. “I don’t know what happened. We were just mucking about and then he… I don’t know… was really wanting to scrap. He has been wanting to have a go at me. I know it. I just don’t know why.”  
“How do you know it?” Lidia asked, her breathing shallow.  
“Yesterday, I could feel him looking at me. We’ve always got on but, he looked at me yesterday like he really hated me. Then he threatened me. Said if I didn’t go to collect the rent on Camden Road, he would have a barrel for me like he does Ollie.”  
“Barrel? For what?” She asked, leaning back on her knees.  
“To-“ He started as he focused on her for the first time, and his words immediately stopped. “What’s that?” he asked, his eyes fixed on her neck.  
“Um.” She said as she used her hand to cover it and stood, attempting to think of what she would tell him.   
“Is that a love bite?” He asked as she turned toward the opposite wall.   
“Listen… I can explain.” She said as she turned around and swallowed.  
“Who gave you a love bite?” He stared at her, disconcerted.   
Lidia didn’t want to tell him, not after hearing that Alfie had been so cruel to him.   
“Lidia. Tell me. Who has been sucking on your neck? And when?” his face wasn’t angry. Instead, Adam was hurt that she would allow another man to kiss her so soon after they had spent the night together.   
“Yesterday…” She said as she covered her face. “Alfie.”  
She expected him to yell or throw something. Instead he was quiet, and she slowly peaked around her fingers at him. His eyes slowly moved to the floor and his hand rubbed his forehead.   
Lidia ran forward and fell to her knees, peering up into his eyes. “I swear! I didn’t mean to. I was waiting for you and-“  
“And he walked in instead?” Adam’s tone bore an ‘I can’t believe I didn’t know’ astonishment.  
“No! He… seduced me… He-“  
“He sent me to Camden Road so he could have you in my place.”   
“Are you cross with me?” She asked, intimidated by the answer.  
Adam shook his head. “Alfie looks at a woman and she falls to her knees, ready to please.”  
“It wasn’t like that.” She insisted, unsure of whether or not he was trying to insult her. “We’ve been having sex, just occasionally since I got here. It doesn’t mean anything! And I wasn’t sure what this was between the two of us. So, now…. we can discuss it.” She said, wanting to turn the conversation to something positive. “Do you want this between us to be more than what it is?”  
“It can’t.” Adam said bluntly.  
“What?”  
“Alfie finally found one…” Adam said with a chuckle as he stood.  
“One what?”  
“He has slept with every woman in this town just about. It’s no secret his favorite is Rosalie, I think because she does whatever he wants. But he’s never marked her. Not once. And plenty of us men have had her. He never bothered treating us different for her.” Adam began walking to the front.   
“So? It’s just a mark!”  
He turned to look at her, “No.” he said as he shook his head. “He’s claimed you. And I was the ignorant git that touched you.”  
“Adam, wait!”  
“It’s alright, love. It’s alright.” He said as he reached his hand up to caress her face with the backside of his hand and then slowly walked out of her shoppe, to his home.  
________________________________  
Lidia banged on Alfie’s door but received no answer. Angrily she marched down the stairs and found her way into his distillery. She stomped in her heels through the barrels until she noticed a light and followed.   
Lidia spotted him sitting behind his desk, his whiskey bottle sitting beside an empty glass.   
“WHAT GIVES YOU THE RIGHT?” She said as she flung herself at him,   
Alfie jumped to his feet, his chair tipping behind him, and he grabbed her forearms as she attempted to hit him.   
“What the fuck is the matter with you?” He asked as she fought his grasp.  
“ME? WHAT’S THAT MATTER WITH YOU?” She said before she threw her arms down in defeat and stepped back. She put her hand on her forehead and looked at him. “You think just because you say something then it should be so. Or just because you want something you should have it! You don’t care who you take it from, as long as you have it! OR IF YOU ARE FUCKING ANGRY THEN YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO HURT ANYBODY YOU WANT FOR NO FUCKING REASON!”  
“What are you fucking talking about?”  
“What you did to Adam! He didn’t deserve that! And THIS!” She said as she pointed to her neck. “What gives you the right to decide no one else can have me? I am a woman, a GROWN FUCKING WOMAN! I am not property or a pet! I’m not an animal, Alfie, I am a fucking individual that gets to make up her own mind. You don’t get to…. to ‘mark’ me.” She said shaking her head, her voice at a normal level. “You don’t get to fucking hold me aside for yourself while you have every woman in Camden Town.”  
Alfie stared at her as angry tears began to trail down her face.   
“I will pay you rent, on time. As well as your stupid fucking protection. But you and I… whatever there was between us… no more. We are finished. Through. No more fucking. No more reading to you on the steps of my house. Don’t come to my shoppe or my house for anything not business related. Actually, I don’t want to see your fucking face, just have someone else come collect the rent.”  
Alfie took a step toward her, but she took a step back.   
“I mean it Alfie. Stay THE FUCK away from me.” And Alfie watched her walk out of his factory building.


	12. Chapter 12

“FUCK!” Alfie yelled as he slammed his fists on his desk.   
Slowly, Alfie walked up to his house and gazed out the window toward Lidia’s. Her curtains were closed, and every light was off with the exception of her bedroom lamp. He shook his head at himself and his behavior before pouring himself a drink and taking it to bed.  
_______________________________  
Lidia burst through her door, angry tears still falling from her eyes. She walked up the stairs to her room, taking off her clothes as she sobbed bitterly. Throwing herself on her bed, she pulled her knees to her chest and grabbed her pillow. She buried her face into her pillow and screamed. She continued to cry until finally she had fallen asleep, her bedroom lamp still on.   
The next morning, Lidia awoke with a throbbing headache. Knowing she would be late opening if she remained in bed, she slowly began to dress. Normally she would greet other shop owners as she walked to work, and they would smile and wave at her. Today, however, the other owners merely looked at her as she walked past them, and she could feel their eyes on her neck.   
She arrived at her shoppe to find Ollie leaned against her door, waiting for her.   
“Don’t tell me you came to look at my neck too?” She grumbled as she saw his eyes flicker toward the mark Alfie had left on her.  
“Why did you do it?” Ollie asked.  
“Do what?”   
“Go to the pub with Adam if you were with Alfie?”  
“I’m not with Alfie.” She said frustrated.  
“That mark says otherwise.”  
Lidia growled angrily. “Why does everyone keep saying that? It’s just a mark! That I got after I went to the pub with Adam, not before.”  
“I told you not to get involved with him.”  
“You told me he doesn’t care about women; he only fucks them. So why is everyone treating me like a leper?”  
“Who is-?”  
“Everyone! Adam couldn’t get out of here fast enough yesterday and then everyone I’ve passed just stared at me. I don’t even know how they knew, or maybe I’m just paranoid.” She said as she threw her hands in the air.   
“Did you see what Alfie did to Adam? Did you really expect him to stick around once he found out? And as for everyone else, that’s Ishmael’s fault.”   
Lidia furrowed her brow at him, not understanding.   
“Me and Ismael went to check on Adam last night. Make sure he wasn’t passed out in the floor or something. We got there just after he got back from here. He told us everything. Ishmael talks more than a woman, so he told one person and now the whole place bloody knows.”  
“Lovely.” She said sardonically. “Well, there is nothing going on between me and Alfie anymore. That’s done.”  
“Yeah, so is the damage.”  
“Don’t you have somewhere to be?” She snapped at him.   
Ollie looked at her neck again and walked away, shaking his head.   
________________________________________  
Alfie watched Adam work slowly. He was shocked Adam came in the factory because one of his eyes was swollen shut and his face was a combination of reds, blues, and purples. Unable to stand it any longer, Alfie called for him.   
“Sir?” Adam said, his open eye looking toward the ground.  
“Are you alright? To work I mean.” Alfie said, regretting letting his temper and jealousy get the best of him.  
“Yes, sir.” Adam said and Alfie could see the entire distillery staring at them, anticipating whether or not Alfie would do something else.  
“Alright then. I want you working on that.” Alfie said as he pointed to a large filing cabinet in the corner. “I need it gone through; it will take a few days. Just pull a chair and start working on it.”  
Alfie felt awkward. He would never apologize for his brutality because without it he wouldn’t be where he was. He knew Adam’s loyalty to him wouldn’t waiver because of what Alfie had done and because of that, he would allow Adam to heal a bit before resuming any of his more physical duties.   
Afternoon came and Lidia’s shoppe remained primarily empty. She read her book as she sat waiting for a customer, any customer, to come in. When she heard her door open and the bell chime she looked up with a smile.   
Immediately her smile fell as she looked at the dark brown eyes that stared back at her.   
“Rosalie.” Lidia said as she turned her attention back to her book.   
“So, it’s true then?” Rosalie said, her voice strained.   
“What’s true?” Lidia said in a monotone voice.  
“Your neck. Alfie. All of it.”  
Lidia sighed and looked up. “Do you want to buy a book or not?”  
“No. I don’t want a fucking book.” Rosalie said, her eyes hostile. “You can’t have him. I won’t give him up.”  
“I don’t want him.”  
“Then why were you fucking him?”  
Lidia groaned in frustration. “If you’re not going to buy something then just go. Please.”  
“I’m not going anywhere.” Rosalie said confidently. “But you will.”  
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Lidia asked and Rosalie gave her a mischievous smile before walking out.  
three days went by and not a single buyer came in her shoppe. Giving up, she decided she would close early and walk home. She could hear angry whispers as she proceeded home and felt their eyes on her. She walked, thinking about how unjust their hatred was until she walked into a solid object in the middle of the pavement.   
“Sorry.” She heard a familiar voice say.   
Lidia looked up to see Adam’s green eyes staring down at her. Her lips parted as she understood the reason for the community’s hatred. Adam’s face was covered in gray-blue and green bruises.   
“No. It’s my fault, I wasn’t paying attention to where I was walking.” Lidia dropped her eyes, unable to look at his face.   
“Are you alright?” Adam asked gently.  
Lidia nodded.  
“Why are you not at the shoppe?” he asked.  
“No one wants to buy anything from me. Not after what I did.”  
“What did you do?”  
“Have you looked in a mirror lately?” she said in a defeated tone.  
“Hey.” He said as he put his finger under her chin and lifted it. “This isn’t your fault. Alfie gets carried away at times. Everyone here knows that.”  
“Please don’t try to make me feel better.” She said with a small smile.  
“It’s healing you know. First, I was purple, now I’m green. Won’t be long until I’m normal again.”  
Lidia chuckled.   
“You’re new.” Adam said seeing the sadness in her eyes. “You haven’t been here long, and people are still getting to know you. They’re angry at you for many reasons. All of which are unjustified. But I don’t blame you for what happened. Nor do I blame Alfie. It’s just how he is.… And you shouldn’t blame yourself. Give it a week and everyone will move on to the next thing.”  
Lidia gave him a halfhearted smile and nodded before continuing her walk home.   
The next morning Lidia was awoken by banging on her front door. She threw on her silk robe and rushed down.   
“Lidia, get dressed. Quickly!” Ollie said frantically as he stepped in her house.  
“What’s happened?” She asked as she began to rush up the stairs to find a dress.   
“There’s been an incident at the shoppe. I have to go get Alfie. We’ll meet you there!”  
Lidia’s mind rushed in every direction as she thought about what could have happened. She threw on her dress and almost fell coming out of her house as she attempted to put on her shoes. She ran down the street, fear welling inside her as she wondered what she would find.   
When she arrived, a large crowd stood staring at her shoppe, blocking her way.   
“Excuse me!” She said as she pushed her way through the crowd. “Move, please….. MOVE!”  
She made it to the front of the crowd and her hand immediately covered her mouth in shock.


	13. Chapter 13

Lidia stared at her shoppe. The door had been busted open and was hanging on one hinge. The large window was shattered, and she could see stacks and books strewn everywhere. She walked in and across the back brick wall was the word WHORE in thick black letters. Lidia’s heart broke as she gazed down at the books covered in black oil, pages ripped out and thrown across the room. She slowly dropped to her knees and picked one up. The Beautiful and the Damned, she originally thought Rosalie had done this to her until she looked out the window and saw the crowd staring back at her as if she deserved it. It could have been any of them.   
Alfie came to the crowd with Ollie and barked, “MOVE!” and the crowd opened a path to the front of the shoppe. He examined the broken door as he walked in and stopped when he saw the letters on the wall.   
“Lidia?” Alfie said as he knelt down beside her and grabbed her elbow. “C’mon, get up. There’s glass everywhere, you’ll cut your knees.”  
Lidia jerked her elbow out of his grasp and wiped her nose with the back of her hand.   
“Hey, I know it’s shocking. But we will get to the bottom of this, alright?” He tried.  
“We?” She said bitterly.  
“You pay me for protection. This is what I’m supposed to be protecting you from.” He said to her before he stood and said to Ollie, “I need men to start asking questions. Who was around here last night? What did the neighbors see or hear? You know the drill.”  
Ollie looked at his sister with concern for a moment before he turned to gather men and start interrogations.  
“Do you know anyone that would want to hurt you?” Alfie said gently as he knelt back down.  
Lidia breathed a chuckle and shook her head. “Take your pick.” She said before she looked him in the eyes and motioned towards the large crowd watching her. “They all hate me for what you did to Adam.”  
“Fuckin’ hell.” Alfie said as he looked at the crowd, straining to hear the conversation.   
Alfie stood and took out his gun as he walked out to address the crowd.   
“FUCK OFF!” He yelled as he pointed the gun and the crowd tripped over one another in an attempt to get away.   
“There. Now they’re gone.” He said as he turned back to her.   
“Rosalie.” Lidia finally said. “I think it was her.”  
Alfie groaned as if he wanted to say something and Lidia stood. “What?”  
“It, uh, it couldn’t have been Rosalie.”  
“How do you know?”  
Alfie clenched his jaw as he looked away and scrunched his nose. “She was with me last night.”  
Lidia scoffed. “Of course, she was.”  
“Look, my men will ask questions. We will get that door fixed and the window replaced and-“  
“Just stop, Alfie.” Lidia said with a sigh.   
“No, I will fix-“  
“You’ve done enough.” She said with a finality. “I will take care of this myself. I don’t need your help.”  
“You do need my help.” He pointed out.   
“Fine then. I don’t want your help.”   
Alfie’s hand twitched as he watched her look at her dream, tore apart and covered in oil. He wanted to reach out to her and pull her in his arms, a strange sensation he had never felt for a woman beyond sexual purposes.   
“Lidia….” He said as he began to reach for her.   
“GO!” She said as she threw a book at him.  
Alfie threw up his arms and blocked the book from hitting his face.   
As he turned to walk out, she said, “You know,” And he stopped to look back at her. “Everything was fine until you-“ She cut herself off and shook her head, turning away from him.   
Alfie left her shoppe and went straight to his office. On his way, he met Rosalie.   
“What happened?” She asked curiously.   
“Lidia’s shoppe was destroyed. You know anything about that?”  
“No. When?”  
“Last night.”  
“I was with you.” She said as she raised an eyebrow and looked at him as if he had forgotten.   
“Do you know anything about it?”   
“No. You think I care about her shoppe?” She said before she scoffed and walked away.   
___________________________________________  
Alfie’s men questioned everyone that lived in the area and found nothing other than hearing crashing and broken glass but since it wasn’t in their house, apparently, they didn’t care. He was frustrated. She paid him for protection, and everyone knew that. He couldn’t figure out who was brave enough to still vandalize her place that way. Alfie also called arranging for a new window to be delivered and the door to be fixed tonight, without her permission. He knew she didn’t want his help, but she was going to get it regardless.   
___________________________________________  
Lidia began picking up books and sat the salvageable ones in a corner and the ruined ones in another. After noon, Ollie showed up to help her, by Alfie’s orders but he wasn’t to tell her that.   
“It’s oil!” Ollie said as he looked at the words on her wall.   
“Yeah, the books are covered in it.”  
“Do you have a paint scraper or something? I can try to get it off that way before I use soap.”  
“In the back.”   
Ollie scraped at the thick dried oil on the wall, making very little progress. At the end of the day, they were both exhausted.   
“D, you’ve hardly said anything all day. Are you alright?”  
Lidia looked at him like he was an idiot and he nodded and looked away. They looked at the progress Ollie had made on the wall and jumped as they heard a noise in the doorway. An older man with a gray beard was unscrewing the hinges on the door to remove it.   
“Can I help you?” Lidia as walking toward the man curiously.  
“No.” The man grunted as he lifted the door and sat it outside. “Just replacing the door.”  
“What-? Where did you… I haven’t ordered a replacement yet.” She said not understanding what was happening.  
“Mr. Solomons called me an hour ago, Miss. It’ll be replaced in just a couple of minutes. My nephews are bringing the wood.”  
“Did he?” She said rolling her eyes. “Wood for what?”  
“The window. Can’t leave it open like that you’ll get dogs and homeless in here.” He said as he nodded toward the large broken window.   
“Did you know about this?” She asked her brother who looked as though he had smelled something sour.   
“I didn’t realize the time. I was supposed to have you out of here half an hour ago. Look, don’t be cross with him. You do need them closed or all this work we are doing is for nothing.”  
“Fine. Do what you have to do.” She said, surrendering to her brother’s pleas.   
Lidia fell asleep in her bathwater that night and woke up when the water was cold. Lazily, she wrapped a towel around her and walked to her bed, falling back asleep instantly.   
_____________________________________  
Alfie watched from the window, waiting for Ollie and his sister to arrive across the street. He looked at his clock on the mantle and shook his head.   
“Fuckin’ hell, Ollie. You’re late.”  
Knowing Ollie and Lidia will have been there when the new door and wood for the window were delivered, he prepared himself for another berating from Lidia. When he finally saw them a block down, Alfie noticed the defeated look on her face. Lidia was normally cheeky and full of life but as he watched her walk, he saw the sadness that had replaced her demeanor and he couldn’t help but feel responsible.   
Ollie delivered his sister at her house, then proceeded to Alfie’s to tell him about the day.   
“And how is she?” Alfie asked after Ollie gave him logistics of the shoppe.  
“She’s.. sad.. I think. Ever since I can remember, she’s wanted to own a book shoppe. Now that it’s destroyed, I think she feels a bit broken. To her, books are everything and for someone to ruin them the way they did…” Ollie shook his head. “It’s hard for her.”  
“I want a list of all the books that were ruined.”  
“All of them? Only about a quarter survived.”   
“All of them.”  
Ollie nodded his head and left, leaving Alfie to his thoughts.   
_____________________________________  
The next day Lidia awoke at her normal time, but instead of getting out of bed, she rolled onto her side and drifted back to sleep. By the time she arrived at the shop it was after noon and she was shocked to see her new window had replaced the plywood. Walking in she found the letters gone from the wall and the stacks in their rightful place, though most of them were empty.   
“Ollie, did you this by yourself?” Lidia asked when she found her brother putting what books she had on the shelf.   
“No. Alfie and the men helped.”  
“It must have taken hours!”  
“It did. Alfie got everyone out of bed at two this morning.”  
Lidia dropped her eyes and the corner of her mouth twitched.  
“Is that a smile I see?” Ollie asked looking at his sister.  
“No!” She said raising her eyebrows before she relaxed and said, “Yes.”  
“You should forgive him.”  
“Why? Because he fixed my shoppe that never would have been in this situation if-“  
“Yes.” Ollie interrupted plainly. “He is rough and a bit of a grizzly, but he’s a good man. He won’t admit it, but he feels bad for what he did to Adam and what it’s cost you.”  
“I’ll think about it.” Lidia said putting her nose in the air stubbornly.   
Because everything was back to normal with the exception of the bookless shelves in the back, Lidia left at a normal time. As she walked toward her house, she looked toward Alfie’s window for the first time in almost a week. She saw his bedroom curtains blow as the wind trailed up the street and she couldn’t help but wonder if Rosalie was in there with him.   
She ate dinner alone and took a long bath, her mood picking up from the downward spiral she had been on. Deciding to follow Alfie’s lead, she opened the window to let the summer breeze flow in while she slept.   
_______________________________________  
Before Alfie went to bed, he noticed Lidia’s curtains were partially opened, along with her window. The corners of his mouth turned up, imagining the look on her face when she had arrived at her shoppe, wishing he had been able to be there. He had just begun to drift to sleep when he heard a blood curdling scream and his eyes burst open. The scream came from across the street and his body went cold as he rushed out of bed to put on his trousers. He ran down the stairs, his gun under his arm as he attempted to fasten his trousers.   
He looked across the street as he ran and saw that Lidia’s door was wide open.   
“Lidia?.... Lidia!” He yelled as he ran up her steps and into her house.


	14. Chapter 14

Lidia woke up an hour after she had fallen asleep to a loud thud from downstairs. She reached and turned on her lamp, listening for the sound again. After a moment of silence, she thought she had dreamt the noise and turned her lamp off. As she closed her eyes, she heard a creak on the floorboards of the stairs.   
Slowly, she got out of bed and walked to the door, cracking it open slowly. She went as quietly as she could, walking on her toes while, still listening for any out of place sound. As she neared the top of the stairs, she heard a rustling movement and her eyes went wide as the realization that someone was in her house set in. She froze, not knowing what to do. She had nothing to protect herself with, she was barefoot and in her slip.   
Thinking she could walk back to her room and barricade herself in her bathroom she turned quietly, careful not to make a sound. She hadn’t made it a step when a hand grabbed her and threw her against the wall. The intruder put a hand over her mouth as the other hand held a knife to her throat.   
Lidia’s heart and mind raced. Her mind instantly went to Alfie, across the street, probably asleep. She looked at her assailant, attempting to make out anything recognizable but their face was covered, and it was dark. She put her hands on the intruder’s chest and up to its face, wanting to push it away. The intruder put pressure on the knife and Lidia held her breath. This was it; she was going to die in her house across the street from Alfie while he slept soundly in his bed.   
A tear began to fall down her cheek and she closed her eyes. Feeling a wave of bravery, she quickly dug her thumbnail into the intruder’s eyeball, and he screamed in pain, removing the knife and his hand from her mouth. Just get outside to Alfie she thought as she turned to run down the stairs. The intruder grabbed her arm and she turned, swinging her foot and hitting him in the balls. The man fell to his knees and grabbed her ankle, pulling it out from under her. She fell on her stomach and began to try to crawl the last couple of inches to the stairs. Still holding onto her ankle, the assailant pulled her away from the top step and forced himself on top of her as he began to pull her slip up.   
Panic overwhelmed her as she heard him undoing his trousers behind her. She wasn’t going to make it outside or to the door. The only thing her brain could think was “scream” and so she did, as loud as she could.   
She didn’t know if her scream would be loud enough to wake Alfie or if anyone would come to save her, but it was enough to scare the intruder. Angrily, he stood and grabbed her by the hair of her head. He dragged her to the top of the stairs and picked her up by her upper arms before throwing her down. Lidia rolled and tumbled down the stairs until she reached the bottom and she collided with a table containing a picture frame, which fell and shattered at the impact.   
The man ran down the stairs behind her, pulled open the door, and ran out. Lidia lifted herself off the floor and sat against the wall, broken glass digging into her thigh and sticking out of her arm as she cried in fear, her legs tucked to her chest.   
A few moments later, Alfie yelled her name, but she didn’t hear it. He yelled for her again as he burst through her open door.   
“Lidia?” He said immediately noticing her at the bottom of the stairs. “Lidia what happened?” He growled, though not out of anger.   
Lidia shook her head as sobs prevented her from speaking.   
He went to grab her shoulders, but she panicked at the sight of his hands coming at her and she turned her body away from him.   
“It’s alright! It’s me! It’s Alfie! It’s okay!” He said holding his hands up so she could see them, in an attempt to calm her.  
“Lidia, I need you to tell me what happened!” Alfie said as he looked at the broken class and tipped console table.   
“T-t-there was-s… was a m-man… h-he…” Was all she could say as she pointed to the door.  
Alfie began to stand to walk to the door, but Lidia cried out, “No, please! Please don’t leave me! Please!” and reached for him.   
“I’m not going to leave. I just want to look out the door and see if I can see where they went.”  
“No! No! Please, don’t leave me!” and she flung her arms around him, burying her face in his neck as she wept.  
“Alright… Alright. I’m here, it’s okay. You’re safe now. You’re safe.” He said as he gave up his attempts to look for the assailant and wrapped his arm around her, pulling her in tight.   
Alfie caught something out the corner of his eye and he looked up to see the same word that had been written on the wall of her shoppe above her stairs. Alfie stared at it, not wanting to point it out to her as he held her.   
They sat there, Lidia crying into Alfie’s neck and then dropping to cry onto his shirtless chest as he held her. He didn’t know how many minutes passed, but as she finally began to calm down, he said, “I need to make a call. Can you walk with me across the street?”  
Lidia nodded shakily.   
“Let’s get you a dress then, yeah?” he encouraged.  
She nodded again as she began to turn to the stairs, and she stopped seeing the word WHORE on her wall. She said nothing as she stared at it and Alfie wanted her to speak to him more than ever but knew this was not the time.   
“I’ll go get it.” He offered and she looked at him, terrified at the thought of him leaving her at the bottom of the stairs alone. “I’ll send your brother for it. Let’s just get you somewhere safe.”  
He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and held her firmly as she latched onto him for dear life while they walked across the street. He got her up the stairs and sat her on his sofa. He poured her a glass of whiskey, hoping she would drink it and it would relax her, but she didn’t. He made calls from the corner of the sitting room, his eyes glued to her.   
Finally, he sat on the coffee table across from the sofa, facing her. She blinked her red swollen eyes at him, and he gently brushed a strand of auburn hair from the dried tear stains on her face.  
“Men will arrive shortly. I need you tell me what happened. And I need to get those cleaned up.” He said motioning with his head to her arm and thigh.  
Alfie grabbed some clean bandages and water and began digging out glass from Lidia’s arm. “I don’t know…” She said as she took a deep shaky breath. “I was asleep and I heard a noise. I thought I imagined it, but I heard another one. I walked to the stairs and he grabbed me… he.. forced me against the wall.” Tears began to build in her eyes, “He had a knife on my throat. I-I thought he was going to kill m-me. I poked his eye and he moved so I tried to run, I…. I wanted to run… but he grabbed my leg and I fell. He…” Her breathing grew heavy as she fought back more sobs. “He lifted m-my…. He lifted my slip and was going to… to…”  
“Alright, alright.” Alfie said as he stopped his debridement and put his arm around her.   
“I didn’t know what to do. I just.. I screamed.” She sobbed, “I didn’t know what else to do.”  
She cried on his shoulder until, she thought she had run out of tears. “I think they know you. He got scared when I screamed and threw me down the stairs and ran out. He… he had to know that you might hear. Why else would he have been in such a hurry?”   
“You didn’t see who it was? Eye color? Anything?”  
“No. It was too dark.”  
Alfie grunted a nod as there was a knock on the door. Lidia jumped when she heard it and she looked at the door with wide eyes.   
“It’s alright. It’s probably one of the men. Here, wrap this around you.” He said as he handed her a throw blanket.   
Ollie walked in holding a dress. “I didn’t know which one to grab so I just…” he said as he held it towards her.   
She grabbed it and sat it in her lap, pulling her blanket tighter around her as her brother sat beside her. She leaned onto her brother and he wrapped his arm around her and held her while Alfie turned his attention to digging glass from her thigh as the men arrived.   
Because Alfie didn’t know who had targeted Lidia, he called only four of his men. The four he would trust with his own life. Alfie told the group what had happened, and they listened angrily as the story went on. Ollie’s grip around his sister tightened as Alfie explained it had been the same person that had destroyed her book shoppe. Adam sat with his jaw clenched after Alfie had finished.   
“So, we have nothing to go on?” Adam said in frustration.   
“I tried, but… it was dark I…” Lidia said.   
“No. I know it’s not your fault. I just… What man would target Ollie’s sister for sleeping with Alfie? A woman maybe, but.. a man?” Adam said shaking his head.   
“Whoever he is, he’s not going to still be out on the streets right now. Go home, start first thing in the morning asking questions. I don’t to see any of you back in the fucking bakery until you have something.”  
The men left and Alfie shut the door behind them. Lidia looked at him as he walked back toward her and her exhaustion washed over her. She could have easily just laid there on the sofa and fallen asleep.   
Alfie sighed. “This is all my fault.” He finally said as he sat and bowed his head.   
Lidia looked at him, a crease emerging between her eyes.   
“If I hadn’t gotten jealous..” Was all he could say before he looked up at her and she could see a raw emotion in his eyes that she had never expected to see.  
She thought about what Ollie had said, “He is rough and a bit of a grizzly, but he’s a good man” and she stood.   
Alfie expected her to be angry with him and agree that it was his fault, but when she finally spoke, she said, “Is it alright if I stay here tonight?”  
“Of course. You can have my room and I’ll-“  
“No. Um, I don’t want to be alone.”  
A gentle smile brushed the sides of his lips and he nodded before he stood and the two of them walked to his room. They laid down and she curled up next to him as he wrapped his arm around her. He immediately heard her rhythmic breaths and knew she was asleep. Alfie buried his nose in her hear and breathed her in before he joined her in a dreamless sleep.


	15. Chapter 15

Alfie woke before Lidia and slowly crawled out of bed, careful to be quiet as he shut the bedroom door behind him. He wanted to go downstairs and check on the men to see if they had discovered anything but wasn’t sure what sort of state Lidia would be in after the night’s events.   
Two hours passed, then three. Finally, at 1 o’clock in the afternoon, Alfie heard Lidia clear her throat. He looked up to see her standing in the entrance to the sitting room in her slip.   
“Um, my dress…” She said as she motioned to the coffee table and awkwardly walked forward to grab the dress Ollie had brought her the night before. “Thank you, for letting me stay and for well… everything.” She said with a bashful shrug.  
“Stay as long as you’d like.” He responded.  
“Thank you but, I’m going to stay with Ollie for a bit. At least until I feel better about being alone again. I just need to go across the street and gather a few things.”  
“You can stay here. Then if you need anything, your belongings are just across the street.” He said, a crease forming between his eyes.  
“Alfie..” She said with a small smile, “We both know I can’t stay here.”  
“Do we?”  
“Yes. It’s almost the weekend and I know you like to… entertain. Plus, a certain blonde will be by in a few days at least, seeking affection and I know you have a hard time resisting giving affection to women in need. So, I will stay with my brother and leave you to your life.”  
“Mm.” Alfie grunted, and Lidia walked into the bedroom to get dressed.   
While she was slipping into her dress he walked in the room.   
“Rosalie is just to pass the time… She satisfies a need, that’s all. I will turn her away if you want to stay here.”  
“Do you want me to stay?”   
Alfie wanted to say yes, but his brain wouldn’t allow it. “I-I mean, it’s logical. Your house is across the street you can come and go as you please for as long as you want and-“ He cut himself off when he saw Lidia give a disappointed smile and nod.   
“I feel like since I arrived in Camden Town, everything in my life has been incredibly illogical. Why stop now?” She said with a kind smile as she finished dressing and left the room.   
Alfie looked out the window and saw her start to walk across the street. She stopped before she made it to the pavement and stared at her house. Flashbacks of the night before flooded her memory and she jumped when a man by the canal dropped a large piece of metal. Her chest started to feel heavy like she couldn’t breathe, and she took a stumbling step back.   
She heard the factory workers talking and saw the groups of people walking down the street. Any one of them could be her attacker. Her breaths were short and fast until she felt lightheaded. She turned quickly to run back to Alfie’s and found him standing a few paces behind her.   
“It’s alright.” Alfie said as he walked to her and bent to be at eye level with her, his hands on her shoulders. “You are safe.”  
Lidia didn’t respond, she merely sniffled as a single tear trailed down her face   
“C’mon. Give me a list of what you need, and I will have someone fetch it for you.” He said as he led her back inside.   
Lidia stayed at Alfie’s until the evening and went home with Ollie, who was upset that they hadn’t found anything.  
____________________________________  
Alfie tipped and threw a table, angry that no one had any information.   
“When I find out who is behind this, I will fucking butcher everyone who knew about it.” He growled angrily, meaning every word.   
Lidia grabbed Ollie’s arm tight as they walked to his house. She was grateful that Adam and Ishmael lived on the same street because they all walked home together, making her feel safer.   
“I’m sorry, Ollie. I didn’t even think. Please let me sleep on the sofa.” She said apologetically.   
“Don’t be silly D. You’ll sleep in the bed.” He said as she sighed and crawled in bed. “Oh, I hope I washed them after Mary left the other night.”  
“Ollie!” She yelled as she jumped out of the bed and he began laughing.   
“I’m only joking. The sheets are clean.”  
“You are NOT funny!”  
“Do you know all the things I’ve heard about you? If that’s the only joke I make about my sex life, you’ll be lucky.”  
There was a pause as Ollie leaned against the door frame looking at his sister.   
“Has it been awful?” She asked.   
“Not until you bit Adam.”  
“I’m sorry. I couldn’t help it.” She said, feigning innocence.   
“Right, but see, those are the sorts of things I don’t need to know about.” He said making a disgusted face and she laughed.   
________________________________________  
Two days passed and Lidia was still unable to enter her house. Every time she tried, her heart felt as if it would beat out of her chest and she relived the night of her attack, feeling the helplessness of being pinned down with her slip up. She sent Ollie in to get her clothes and all the money she kept in a safe.   
“I don’t think I will ever be able to go back in there.” Lidia confided in her brother.  
“Well, I’m sure Alfie will find you somewhere else to live. Or you can just live here.” He offered.  
“Live with my brother in a one bedroom flat? I don’t think so. The thought of coming home and seeing your ass in the air with some poor girl under you is enough to make me want to live on the street.”  
“Well at least I’m not a fucking snapping turtle!”  
“Oh, very funny! How was work today?” She said changing the subject.  
“Well, Alfie is unstable. More than usual, that is.”  
“Why?” Lidia asked growing concerned. “He didn’t beat anyone did he?” her thoughts going to Adam.  
“No. Not yet anyways. Once he finds out who is responsible for those attacks on you, he will though, and it won’t be pretty. I don’t think he thinks it’s someone from Camden anymore.”  
“He doesn’t?”  
“No. He was on the phone with Sabini for a long while, yelling and making threats. Then he called Birmingham and started questioning Tommy Shelby.”  
“Wait, why would the Italians or anyone from Birmingham want to harm me? I don’t even know any Italians.”  
“He believes the target is on you because of his interest in you. He wants to find out who it is before-“ Ollie cut himself off.  
“Before what?” Lidia pressed.  
“I really shouldn’t be telling you this.”  
“Why? It’s about me. They’re attacking me. I have every right to know.” She said standing up and placing her hands on her hips. “Now, I’ll ask again. Before what?”  
“Before it happens again.” Ollie answered and Lidia’s body went cold.   
“He thinks it will happen again?” she asked as she sat.   
“We have no reason to think it won’t.” Ollie shrugged before continuing without thinking, “And each time has been more violent.”  
Lidia’s eyes went wide as she listened to his words and he looked up. “Wait, no- I shouldn’t have said that! I’m sorry, Lidia!”  
“No. you’re fine.” She said as she swallowed hard and attempted to gain her composure.  
“We will keep you safe.” He said as he put a hand on hers and she nodded her understanding with a smile.   
Lidia laid in bed that night listening to her brother’s loud snores as she thought about what he had said. He was right, each time was more violent. What if her assailant came with a gun instead of a knife the next time? What if he wasn’t alone when he came? She was scared, a feeling that didn’t come over her often.   
“All this because I fucked one man.” She whispered.   
She thought about how kind he had been to her the night she was attacked and how she knew he wanted her to stay with him, but he wouldn’t say it. She thought about when they had almost kissed for the first time in the stacks and how he ate and listened to her talk at dinner. She pictured the smile he had on his face when she read to him on the steps of her house and the feeling of his fingers in her hair. She didn’t know when it had happened, but she knew in the events since meeting him he hadn’t just been one man. He had become so much more than that. But had she become more for him?   
The thought of him gave her comfort but the realization of her situation frightened her more than she could explain. She thought of her book shoppe and wondered if she would ever be able to work there again. Could she ever return to the place she had worked so hard for? And if not, then what would she do?   
________________________________  
The next evening Lidia appeared before the sun had set in Alfie’s distillery. She knocked on his office door and he barked “What?” without looking up.   
“I’m sorry. Is this a bad time?” She asked and he looked up, his face softening.   
“Is everything alright?”  
“Yes, everything is fine. I don’t like to be out after dark alone since…. So, I came earlier than I normally would have.”   
Alfie nodded his understanding.   
“What are you doing here? Is everything alright?” Ollie asked when he came upon his sister.   
“Yes, I’m fine.” She said.   
“Well, I’m off. Want to walk home?” Ollie asked.   
“Um…” She said before looking at Alfie.  
“I’ll get her home.” Alfie said and Ollie nodded and walked away.  
“I thought…” Lidia said after a moment, “That you might like some company for.. I don’t know a few hours or.. something?”  
She was nervous and Alfie didn’t know why. So, he simply said, “Alright.”  
They sat in his sitting room fifteen minutes later, Lidia bouncing her knee up and down and Alfie watching her.   
“Lidia? Whatever it is just tell me.” He said breaking their silence.   
Her knee stopped. “Do you think it will happen again? And please have enough respect for me to be honest.”  
“Yes.” He said with a sigh. “I think it will happen again. I just don’t know when… or where… or who. And it’s driving me fucking mad.”  
“Do you love me, Alfie?” She said abruptly and he paused, off guard.   
“What?”  
“Do you love me?”  
He stared at her, unable to say the short simple word on the end of his tongue.  
“Lidia…” He started but there was a knock on the door. “Fucking hell.” He said as he stood to answer.   
“I thought you might like some company.” Rosalie said when he opened the door.   
“Not tonight, I’m busy.” He said before he pushed the door shut in her face.  
Alfie rubbed his forehead before he turned around and found Lidia’s face inches from his.   
Lidia put her hand on his cheek as she leaned up and kissed him. Their lips lingered on one another before she opened her mouth and gently brushed his lip with her tongue. He put his arm around her waist. She picked up her legs and wrapped them around his waist as he began to carry her to the bedroom.   
He laid her on the bed and followed her. he pushed down her skirt as she began to reach for the bottom of his shirt. She pulled it over his head, and he buried his face in her neck as he began undoing the buttons of her blouse. He followed his hands, kissing down her body, taking his time as he removed her breasts from her brassiere.   
Lidia felt his strong shoulders and the muscles that bulged as he moved. After he had successfully undressed her upper body, he slid her knickers down. He picked up her foot and put it to his mouth, biting the soul gently and Lidia moaned as she felt a tingle between her thighs. Alfie leaned over her and kissed her as the two of them began to undo his trousers and push them down.   
Alfie laid on his side and Lidia pulled her leg over his hip and he entered her. He pushed into her passionately as their tongues danced, her hips syncing to match his thrusts. He ran his hand up her leg and onto her thigh, adoring every part of her skin. He rolled on top of her as they both began to get close and he began pushing inside her the way he knew she liked. Her moans got louder with each thrust as he moved inside her at the perfect angle.   
Alfie put his face in her neck and listened, memorizing the sounds she made as she drew closer to her climax. Finally, the pleasure was too much for her and she fell apart around him, biting his neck. He exploded inside her when he felt her tighten around him.   
They lay next to one another, Alfie’s hand in her hair and Lidia’s hand scratching his beard gently. Neither one said anything, they merely laid, wrapped in each other’s arms, their legs tangled together until Lidia rubbed his bottom lip with her thumb and kissed him softly. Alfie pulled her in close and the two of them fell asleep blissfully.   
The next morning Alfie felt the sheets next to him before opening his eyes and noticed they were cold. He blinked open his eyes and looked around, not convinced he hadn’t dreamt the whole thing. He pulled on his trousers and proceeded to his sitting room, looking for Lidia. He scanned the room and paused as he saw two envelopes sitting on his coffee table, one with his name and one with Ollie’s.   
______________________________________  
Ollie trotted into Alfie’s office breathless.   
“Alfie, where’s Lidia? Someone has put all her books outside her shoppe in boxes? There’s a sign and all, it says, ‘Free To Any Reader’.”  
Alfie said nothing as he slouched in his chair, his thumb rubbing circles on the side of his forefinger knuckle.  
“Did she say she was going to get rid of her books? I know there wasn’t many left after what happened but the replacements you ordered haven’t got here yet and-“  
“She didn’t say much of anything last night.” Alfie said as he leaned up and he threw an envelope toward Ollie.  
“What’s this?” Ollie said looking at his name written on the front.  
“Everything she didn’t fucking say last night.” Alfie said begrudgingly   
Ollie opened the envelope and read. When he had finished, he said, “This can’t be right. She’s… She’s gone?”


	16. Chapter 16

Alfie,

When I became a woman at the age of twelve, my mother told me, “never let your body go where your heart can’t follow.” At the time I didn’t understand, but as I laid in bed next to you, staring at your handsome features, free of worry and hardship in your dreams, I finally understood her meaning. Upon my arrival in Camden Town, I anticipated meeting the Alfie Solomons my brother had described. A man full of brutality and wit. Unfortunately, I met someone quite different. Though you are a brutal force with a wit many cannot understand, you are more than anything a man of passion. It is your passion that drives you forward and motivates your reputation.   
I had hoped that your passion for me was what drove this desire to catch my assailant as well as your brutality toward Adam. However, I know now that I was mistaken. You have been kind to me and gentle and I originally thought it was because your feelings for me had progressed, but I realize now it was merely because you are, like Ollie said, a good man. I feel foolish for letting this progress, knowing that you told me you didn’t get involved, but here I am. Telling you that I love you, knowing you can’t say it back.   
I have no one to blame but myself and I apologize for causing so much turmoil on your streets. I pray as I leave, the troubles will leave with me. I don’t know why they started or who was behind them, but with my absence your streets can return to their normal dealings. Please don’t look for me, regardless of how much my brother asks you. If truth be told, I don’t even know where I am going. Only that I hope to find a man that can love me in return.   
Thank you for your honesty at our meeting and again I apologize for not taking you at your word. Enjoy your peaceful kingdom your majesty and know this peasant girl will dream you often.

All my love,  
Lidia

SEVEN MONTHS LATER….  
Alfie stared at the ceiling of his bedroom, cursing his dreams. When he wasn’t drunk, he saw her in his sleep. When he was drunk, he saw her in every woman that walked by. After reading the letter she had written him seven months prior he went straight to the train station but found no trace of her. After sauntering back to his office and giving Ollie his letter, he told Ollie he wouldn’t help find her, lying as he had already made phone calls to begin his search. He spent the next two weeks drunk at night and telling no one the reason for his unwarranted rage at every minor inconvenience, though they all knew. In was in an alcohol induced rage that he opened the book she had left at his doorstep, seeing her neat handwriting ‘9:30’, and threw in the fire. Only to fish it out when he had sobered, thankful the flames had only gotten to part of it.   
He went to work and sighed as he sat at his desk, remembering his dream vividly. “Do you love me, Alfie?” she asked every night before she stepped onto the train. And every night he mouthed the word yes, but no sound came out. So, she stepped on the train and left him forever.  
After two hours of work, he picked up the phone and called for Rosalie to meet him upstairs. She met him at his door dutifully and he proceeded with her to his bedroom. Since Lidia’s disappearance, he had Rosalie more often than ever; using her to chase away the auburn hair that flooded his mind.   
When they had finished, Alfie lay with his waist under the covers, leaned against the headboard.   
“I should go.” Rosalie said as she began to get dressed. “I’m meeting my brother for lunch.”  
Alfie grunted, not listening. Then he paused and looked at her.   
“I thought you brother was in prison.”  
“Do you listen to anything I say?” She asked putting her hands on her hips.  
“No.” Alfie replied honestly.   
“Clearly. Arson is far less than a life sentence. He did his time and has been out for nine months already.” She said shaking her head.   
She leaned on the bed to kiss Alfie on the cheek, but he turned away from her. Rosalie sighed before she stood and left.   
Alfie looked at his clock and got dressed, prepared for his afternoon meeting with Tommy Shelby.   
“Well Alfie, were my policemen any help?” Tommy asked as he lit a cigarette.  
“With what?” Alfie said grumpily.  
“They said you asked for help finding a woman.”  
“Did you come here to talk women or business?” Alfie asked, his hand tightening in a fist and Tommy knew the answer to his question.   
They talked business, Tommy wanting to recruit Alfie for a task in Birmingham and Alfie agreed, for a fee of course.   
_______________________________________  
The next five days went as every other since Alfie had accepted Lidia had left and didn’t want to be found. He spent the weekend at the pub, then at his house with his hand-picked selections that never seemed to satisfy him. On Monday, Alfie, Adam, Ishmael, and Ollie began collecting payments from the businesses Alfie protected. He was pleased when one of the business owners revealed he wasn’t able to pay.   
Alfie punched the man hard in the jaw, knocking him to the floor.   
“Please, sir! I can get you the money next week! I-“ the man coughed as Alfie rained his cane down on his ribs.   
Alfie beat the man while the other three watched, Ollie and Adam glancing at each other, almost feeling for the man.   
When the man was bloody and unconscious, Alfie turned to his men feeling rejuvenated.   
“Let’s go have a drink, yeah?” He said and the men nodded.   
It was no surprise that Rosalie arrived at the pub half an hour after the men did.   
“Do you think she can smell you? Like a hound? Just sniffing the ground to see where you are?” Ishmael asked Alfie as he watched Rosalie walk toward them.   
Alfie chuckled. “Well, she goes at my cock like a dog with a fucking bone, doesn’t she?”  
They drank and finally, Alfie was ready to go home. He and Rosalie walked in his house and she immediately dropped to her knees in front of him. He growled with approval as she began to undo his trousers. He put his hand on her head and glanced up, freezing instantly as he saw a pair of hazel eyes staring at him from the sofa.   
______________________________________  
Alfie and Rosalie came through the door and Rosalie dropped to her knees so quickly, Lidia didn’t have a chance to make her presence known. When Alfie looked up and into her eyes, they both froze momentarily until Lidia looked down at Rosalie and turned her face away.   
Alfie looked down, only then remembering Rosalie was in front of him.   
“Stop.” He said, shifting his hips back as she began to free him.  
“What?” Rosalie said breathlessly as she looked up at him.  
“Fuck off.” He told her as he stared at the sofa.   
“What’s the matter with-“ She started as she looked behind her and seeing the head of auburn hair on Alfie’s sofa she blurted angrily, “What are you doing here?”  
Alfie grabbed Rosalie by the hair and pulled her up, Rosalie squealing in pain as he did. Alfie opened the door and threw her out, slamming the door behind her.   
He fastened his trousers and turned around slowly, wondering if he had imagined her like he had many times before. Lidia sat on his sofa and swallowed a nervous breath before looking back over her shoulder at him.   
Neither one knew what to say or do. They merely stood staring at each other even as heavy footsteps came quickly up the stairs on the other side of the door.   
Ollie burst through the door and froze.  
“It is you!” he said in shock. “When Rosalie said you were here, I thought….”   
He smiled and began to rush toward her. She remained sitting on the sofa and looked at her brother with a small smile as he ran in front of her intending to bend and give her a hug.   
“I- holy shit!” He said in shock as he looked at her.  
Lidia released a shaky breath and Alfie began to walk towards her. Slowly she stood and Ollie took a step back. Alfie’s eyes went wide as he watched her put a hand on her large round stomach.


	17. Chapter 17

Alfie and Ollie’s eyes remained glued to her stomach as she stood awkwardly in front of them.   
“Uh..” Ollie stammered as he tried to think of something to say. “How far gone are you?”  
“Seven months.” She answered.  
“Oh.” Was all he could say in response.   
“Ollie, would you mind giving me and Alfie a minute? I will come to your house when I leave here.”  
“Um..” He said as he looked at his boss, whose eyes were still wide with shock. “Are you sure? I can stay if…” he continued as he glanced at Alfie, knowing he had a short temper as of late.  
“Yes, I’m sure.” She told him and he nodded and walked slowly toward the door, looking back at the pair of them before he left.   
Slowly, Alfie’s eyes moved from her stomach to her face.   
“I’m sorry. I came a few hours ago while your maid was here, and she let me in when I told her my name. I didn’t even consider you wouldn’t be alone when you finally came up or I wouldn’t have stayed.” Lidia told him.  
“No. Um,” Alfie said as he scratched his neck, attempting to think about something other than her stomach and the child inside. “It’s fine. Please…” He motioned back to his sofa and she sat.  
“Yes, it’s yours.” She said, as she watched him look from her face to her stomach.  
“It’s mi- Fuck.” He said as the color began to drain from his face.  
“Are you alright?” She asked as he went pale and small droplets of sweat appeared on his forehead.  
“You come back after seven months and tell me your fucking pregnant with my child and you expect me to what? Throw a fucking celebration?” he growled at her, the anger of her leaving coming back to him.  
“I don’t know what I expected. I wasn’t going to tell you at all, but then I thought of the child and… I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if it grew up without a father simply because I chose not to tell him.”  
“Are you sure it’s not Adam’s?”  
“Yes. I’m positive.”  
“Fucking hell.” He said as he leaned back and ran his hand over his face.  
“You look as if you’re going to faint.” She said with a worried expression.   
“I feel like I’m going to faint…. Fuck. I need a drink.”  
“I’ll get it, you sit.” She said as she stood, and Alfie became lightheaded as he saw her stomach again.   
She brought him a glass of whiskey and he drank it in one gulp.   
“I’m that kid’s father?” He asked, nodding toward the bump under her dress.  
“Yes.”  
He closed his eyes and inhaled a deep breath, releasing it slowly and the color began returning to his face.  
“Where have you been?” he asked.   
“I’ve been in Scotland actually. I found a charming little cottage in the highlands.”  
“You’ve been there all this time?”  
“Yes. I only meant to stay for a few weeks but then I realized I was pregnant and decided to stay.” She looked at her hands before saying, “I wrote to you a thousand times, but I never sent any of them.”  
“Why?”  
“I didn’t know if you’d care to know.”  
“Well, at least I know how little you think of me.” He said as he stood.   
Lidia stood and started to walk to him, “No, I just meant- Your lifestyle isn’t exactly befitting a child and I would never force you to take care of a child you didn’t want. But, in the end I decided you had a right to know.”  
“Yeah, your damn right I did!” He said angrily. “I have every fucking right to know my child, and you have no right to decide otherwise!”  
Lidia was taken aback by his sudden anger.  
“I just.. I didn’t think-“  
“What? That I was a ‘good man’ as you said in your fucking letter? The letter where you confessed feelings for me that you never had the fucking balls to tell me to my face?” his voice escalating.  
“That’s not fair! You-“  
“You asked me if I loved you and that was all! You kissed me when I shut Rosalie out and then when I woke up you were gone! Then you find out you are pregnant and wait seven fucking months to tell me?” he continued yelling.  
“No, I-“  
“You fucking disappeared! For all I knew you were fucking dead! The fucking coppers couldn’t even find you! You don’t leave a fucking note like that and then leave before the other person can fucking respond! That was a cheap fucking way to go, Lidia!”  
“Well, you look like you recovered nicely!” She finally blurted, motioning to the door and Rosalie on her knees.  
“Oh, no you fucking don’t! You don’t get to show up and act like you were thinking about anyone but yourself! No warning, no fucking hint that you were even THINKING of leaving; you just fucking did!”  
“And how long did you wait after I left before you let her jump on your cock?” Lidia said as an angry tear rolled down her cheek.  
“I didn’t know that you were fucking pregnant. I didn’t know you felt any sort of way about me. You weren’t even speaking to me before you were attacked and then we fucked once, and you were gone.”  
“Obviously because I was angry with you before I was attacked!”  
“For what? Hmm? For beating one of my men? Well you know what, treacle, it wasn’t the first time and it sure as hell won’t be the last. How do you think I got to where I am?” he yelled and then shook his head.  
“You beat him because he was with me!” she yelled back. “And then you let everyone in town know it and know no one else could have me but you!”  
“So first you say my feelings didn’t progress and now you’re saying that I wanted you to be with me only? Which one is it Lidia?”  
“That’s my point! You wanted me to wholly be with you but you still wanted everyone else, including that blonde fucking-“  
“So, you left because you were jealous? It was all some plot to get back at me?”  
“I left because I thought you didn’t want me!” She blurted before calming her voice, “And I couldn’t stand the thought of wanting a man that would always want another woman.”  
Alfie exhaled a deep breath, calming himself and Lidia put a hand on her stomach as her heart raced.  
“Are you alright?” he asked, his tone harsher than he intended.  
“Yes. I’m fine.” She scoffed at him. “I should go. Ollie will be waiting for me.”   
Lidia walked to the sofa and gathered her things.   
“It’s dark.” Alfie pointed out.   
“Well, you have become extremely observant since I left, haven’t you?”  
Alfie rolled his eyes at her. “You don’t have to-“  
“DO NOT tell me that I ‘don’t have to leave’ or that I can ‘stay if I want’. I came here to tell you about this child, and I have done that. You need to decide what you want, Alfie.”  
“So, what? This is an ultimatum? If I don’t tell you I want you, then I don’t get to see my child? Is that it?”  
Lidia turned around and looked at him with angry eyes. “I am not the type of woman to use our child as bargaining power. I know where your feelings with me stand. This is about the baby growing inside me. You need to decide what you want to do about that. Do you want this child or don’t you?”  
And she stormed out.


	18. Chapter 18

Lidia stomped down the stairs angrily and yelped as she turned the corner.   
“Ollie, are you trying to make me have this baby early?” She asked as she put one hand over her heart and the other on her stomach.  
“Sorry!”  
“What are you doing down here? I thought you left.”  
“I wanted to make sure you were alright.” He asked as he looked up the stairs.  
“Why wouldn’t I be?” She asked curiously.  
“You’re in a fragile state and he has been… different since you left.” Ollie said, carefully choosing the word ‘different’.  
“Different how?”  
“He just gets angry easier than he used to.”  
“I think that’s because he’s been angry at me.” She said as she glanced up the stairs before the two of them began their journey to Ollie’s home.  
_________________________________________  
“Are you sure it’s Alfie’s? I mean, you were with Adam too.” Ollie asked as he threw a pillow on the sofa.  
“I’m positive.” Lidia answered.  
“But, how can you be sure? Adam would be a good dad and-”  
“You think Alfie wouldn’t?” she interrupted.  
“I didn’t say that.” He quickly defended. “All I’m saying is, how can you be sure he’s actually the father?”  
“I bled since I was with Adam and then I was with Alfie and haven’t bled since.” Lidia said plainly.  
“Ew! Honestly, Lidia!” Ollie said.   
“Well, that’s how it works! You bleed and you’re not pregnant, you don’t, and you are!”  
“I don’t need to know about your womanhood.”  
“Then don’t question me.” She said sticking her nose in the air and Ollie shot her a look.   
“Are you alright though?” He asked and Lidia could see the deep concern in his eyes.  
“Yes, I am fine. I came to terms a long time ago that I would be caring for this child alone. If Alfie doesn’t want it, I will be alright.”  
“And if he does?”  
“Then I’ll figure it out, I suppose.” She said shrugging.  
Ollie looked at his sister with a small smile, “I’m glad your back.”   
Lidia smiled at her brother and hugged him over her stomach. “I am too…. I think.”  
________________________________________  
The following afternoon, Lidia knocked on Alfie’s door.  
“He’s in the back room, miss.” Edna, his maid, said and Lidia proceeded to her destination.   
Lidia found Alfie surrounded by beautiful pieces of deep maroon mahogany furniture that he was piecing together.   
“You sent your messenger for me?” Lidia said.  
“I sent your brother.” Alfie corrected with a grunt as he tightened a screw.   
“Same thing.” She said with a wave of her hand. “You know, I’m sure you could pay someone to do that for you.”  
“I want to do it myself. It’s not the first time I’ve build furniture.” He said as he paused and reached in his pocket, pulling out a key. “Here. Ishmael is going to meet you at the bottom of the stairs.”  
“What’s this for?” She asked looking at the key.  
“It’s to your shoppe. I had all your belongings moved from the house across the street a month after you left.” He said as he went back to his wood. “Select what you want, and Ishmael will take men when you’ve finished to gather it and bring it up.”  
“I don’t understand.”   
“Your things. Bring whatever you want of them. Clothes, kitchen things, furniture…. Though, I don’t know where we will put that…” He said with a shrug. “But we’ll figure it out.”   
“To… bring here?”   
“Yes.”   
“Why?”  
Alfie sighed and looked at her, irritated that he was getting distracted from his project. “Because you are going to live here.”  
“Am I?” Lidia said, irritation growing in her voice as well.   
“Yes.”  
“And you were going to ask me about this when?”  
“I wasn’t.”  
Lidia scoffed a chuckle. “Look, I-“  
“No. You look!” Alfie said as he threw down his tools, “We never found whatever fucker was out there attacking you before. You’re back now, and pregnant, and I’m not going to risk it. You will live here, and Edna will be here before I leave for work and leave after I get back and you will have one of my men that I trust with you any time you leave this fucking building.”  
“But, why do I-”  
“Because I fucking want you to!” Alfie said anticipating her question. “I fucking want you here. I want you. I want the fucking baby. I didn’t ask you because you hate when I ask what you want, so I am telling you what I want. And that’s what we are going to fucking do……” He said before he took a deep breath and ran a hand over his eyes. “I just, I fucking want you both here. Alright?” he said calmly, looking at her as if saying the words aloud had exhausted him.  
Lidia nodded, “Alright.”  
“Good. Now, Ishmael is waiting for you.” He said as he turned back to his project and Lidia left him to it, stifling a smile.   
She walked down the stairs and found Ishmael, whose eyes went round when he saw her stomach. “Ollie told us this morning, but we didn’t believe him!”  
“It’s true.” She said as she rubbed her stomach.   
“And now you’re moving in with Alfie.” He said as he gave a tut of his tongue. “Never thought I’d see the day he moved a woman in the house.”  
Lidia and Ishmael arrived at the front of her shoppe and Lidia looked at the boarded window. “I thought he would rent it out to someone else.”  
“Yeah, well he hasn’t let anyone near it since we moved your stuff in around all the books.” Ishmael replied.  
“I got rid of all the books.” She said as she looked at him curiously.  
“You sure about that?” He asked with a small grin and Lidia moved forward to unlock the door.  
Lidia opened the door and gasped as she saw her shelves full of books, her furniture scattered throughout the stacks.  
“Where did all these come from?” she asked, astonished.   
“They arrived a week after you left. Alfie put them on the shelves himself. We even got the ones back from the boxes you sat out for people to take.”  
Lidia walked around the stacks, brushing off the dust. She realized after a moment that the books were replacements from what she had lost in the vandalism. Emotion grew in her throat as she realized the care that Alfie had gone through for her and guilt swept over her as she thought of how his care had been left to grow dust in her absence.   
“So, what are we thinking?” Ishmael said as he looked at her belongings, ready to satisfy his boss’s orders.  
Lidia sniffed back her emotion as a tear fell from her cheek. She quickly swept it away and turned to her task.   
Hours later, Lidia walked back into Alfie’s and sat on the sofa. Her feet were sore and she was tired. She leaned her head back and exhaled, immediately falling asleep. An hour later she was awoken by a bang.  
“Fuck!” One of Alfie’s men said in a whisper. “Sorry!” He said when he looked up to find Lidia awake.  
“It’s alright.” She said as she rubbed her eye. “That’s my lamp.”  
“Ishmael said you wanted it.” The young man replied with a worried look on his face.   
“No. Yes, I did. I’m just… ignore me.” She said, her mind still waking up. “Where are you taking it?”  
“Mr. Solomons wants it in the nursery.” He answered.  
“The what?” Lidia asked as she thought she misunderstood.  
“The nursery.” He repeated.  
“We don’t have a-…. You know what, I’ll follow you.” She said giving up on the conversation.   
She stood and followed him to the back room Alfie had been in earlier that day.   
“Well, look who decided to join the living.” Alfie said with a smirk.   
Lidia didn’t respond. Her eyes her glued to the deep maroon mahogany crib that sat against the wall.  
“You like it?” Alfie asked.   
“You built that?” She asked as she turned her attention to him and he nodded.  
Suddenly and without warning, Lidia turned away and began breathing heavy, attempting to hold back sobs.   
“What’s wrong? What’s happened?” Alfie asked, shocked by her sudden outburst of emotion. “I can get a new one if you prefer a different wood or..”  
Lidia shook her head as she buried her face in her hands.   
“What’s the matter?” Alfie pressed, growing concerned.  
“You b-built this-s…a-and you r-replaced the b-books and..” Was all she could say.  
Alfie nodded at the men to leave the room as he walked to her and put his hands on her shoulders. Feeling his touch, she melted into him and he wrapped his arms around her. He sat his chin on her head as she cried into his chest.   
“I’m sorry.” She said as she finally calmed down and leaned back. “Your shirts all wet now.”  
He brushed the hair from her forehead and said, “It will dry.”  
“This crib is beautiful.” She said turning her attention to the furniture. “You built it by yourself?”  
“Yes. With my own two hands.” He said holding up his hands.  
“Are you sure it’s sturdy?”  
“Oh, we’re done crying so now we’re being cheeky, hmm?” he said shaking his head. “Yes, it’s sturdy.”  
“I mean, I don’t want to lay my baby down and her fall through to the floor.” Lidia continued, feigning concern.  
“First of all, it’s a boy. And the crib is sturdy. Here, I’ll prove it to you. Jack!” He yelled and the young man from before came scurrying in.  
“Sir?”   
“Lay in this crib.” Alfie said, never taking his eyes from Lidia.  
The young man looked at Alfie for a brief second and then walked toward the crib.  
“What? NO! He’s filthy!” Lidia said looking from Jack to Alfie and seeing the humor in Alfie’s eyes.  
“Take off your clothes first, Jack.” Alfie said never missing a beat, the smile on his face growing larger.  
Jack immediately began to take off his shirt.  
“No, don’t take off your clothes! Do not get in that crib!” Lidia said with authority.  
Jack froze and looked at her before looking toward Alfie for instruction.   
“Go on, fuck off. That’s all for today.” Alfie said with a smile and Jack turned and left.   
“That was not funny. You were about to let some filthy kid in our child’s bed. What is he, twelve?”  
“No, he’s eighteen. He’s terrified of me.”  
“I can tell.” Lidia said with a laugh. “Did they bring my bed?”  
“No.”  
“I told Ishmael-“  
“Yes, I know but I gave him other instruction. I want you to sleep in bed with me.”  
“That’s moving a bit fast isn’t it?”  
“You’ve done it before.”  
“Yes, for one night. This is different.”  
“Mm. You’re pregnant with my child. So, you probably should have spent the past seven months in my bed.” He said nodding.   
Lidia sighed. “Alfie, I don’t think you know what you’re asking. You want to, what? Go from fighting to me being gone to living with you and sharing a bed every night? Do you realize how big of a change that is?”  
“I didn’t say it would be easy.” He responded.  
“So, you to live in sin?”  
“Treacle, I’ve been living in sin my whole life.” He said as he turned to walk out of the room. “Now go to bed, you’re fucking pregnant. My child needs rest.” He ordered in a cheeky authoritative tone.  
Lidia shook her head at him and rolled her eyes before she went to ready herself for bed.  
______________________________________  
She stared at the bed in her slip. She had only given him the choice last night; she hadn’t expected him to make his selection so easily. She suddenly felt awkward, unsure of how she would adjust to yet another large change. They were barely on speaking terms when she had left and now, they were going to live together?  
“What?” He asked as he watched her from the doorway.  
“I suddenly feel incredibly overwhelmed.” She admitted.  
“It’s just a bed, Lidia.”  
“Yes, I know but.. I thought if you wanted the baby then I would live in a house close by or…”  
“For all we know there’s a madman out there waiting for his chance to attack you again. I can’t give him that opportunity.”  
“I know.” She said with a nervous sigh.  
“I can sleep on the sofa.” Alfie offered.   
“No, don’t be silly.” She said before she walked forward and pulled the sheets back.   
___________________________________  
Living together was an adjustment. Lidia felt as if she were out of place. After the first week, however, Lidia began to relax and started doing things around the house that she preferred to do rather than Edna. She followed Alfie’s instruction and didn’t leave without being accompanied by Ishmael, Adam, Ollie, or himself. She expected Adam to treat her different, but instead, he treated her as if nothing had happened between them and they were friends.   
Alfie had wanted to be around Lidia since she left and was happy she was back in his life. He was terrified and overjoyed at the thought of becoming a father but knew the true test would be when it arrived. He knew Lidia was anxious about their arrangement so, in an effort to ease her transition he refrained from telling her about Rosalie.   
___________________________________  
Rosalie walked into his office the day after Lidia’s things were taken to Alfie’s house and threw herself onto him. She grabbed his face and kissed him, hard. Alfie put his hands up and then pushed her off him.   
“What are you doing?” He asked, irritated.  
“You act like her being back changes things.” Rosalie scoffed.  
“She lives in my fucking house.”  
“And?” Rosalie said as she sat herself on his desk and spread her legs.   
“Go home, Rosalie.”   
“You’ll call for me again.” She said as she angrily closed her legs and jumped from his desk. “And when you do, I will come to you just as I always have. We are inevitable, Alfie. You can’t stay away.” She said before she walked out, confidence in her eyes.  
After a week, Alfie was growing frustrated. He hadn’t gone this long without sex since the war. He didn’t try sleeping with Lidia, primarily because she turned away when he tried to kiss her for the first few days and when she finally allowed him to kiss her, she would stop before things got too passionate. Truth is, she wanted to. Lidia wanted sex more than ever since she had gotten pregnant, but she didn’t know if he was still sleeping with Rosalie and refused to allow herself to be his second.   
_____________________________  
Alfie crawled in bed and turned off the light. He turned on his side and reached for Lidia who faced him. He pulled her close and kissed her.   
“Alfie?” She said, pulling away from their kiss. “When was the last time you slept with Rosalie?”  
“What?”  
“I need you to tell me, and be honest, please.”  
He furrowed his brow at her, “Before you got back.”  
“You swear?” She pressed.  
“Yes. I’ve not slept with anyone in over a fucking week.” He said, his frustration audible and Lidia smiled.   
“Kiss me.” She ordered softly and he leaned in and placed his lips on hers.   
They kissed, passionately and Lidia ran her hand down and between his legs. She grasped his erection and began to move her hand before she leaned up.   
“Lidia..” He started as she began to move herself lower on the bed.  
“Shh.” She replied as she kissed his stomach, moving down his body.   
She licked his shaft before she engulfed him in her mouth. Alfie hissed between clenched teeth. She sucked on him, using her tongue to add to his pleasure. She felt his hips begin to tighten and she hesitated for a moment to decide if she wanted to continue with her mouth or have him enter her.   
“Fuck,” Alfie said with his eyes closed as he ran his hands through her hair enjoying the pleasure she was inflicting on him, “Don’t stop, Rose.”  
The minute the words escaped his mouth his eyes sprung open, in shock at what he had just said.


	19. Chapter 19

Lidia immediately removed him from her mouth and leaned up, staring at him with wide eyes.  
“No, wait! Lidia, I didn’t mean-” Alfie tried but Lidia got off the bed as fast as her pregnant body would allow and rushed out of the room.  
Alfie turned onto his stomach and banged his fist on the bed multiple times yelling “FUUUCCCKKK!” into a pillow before pushing himself up angrily. He pulled on some trousers and set off to find Lidia.   
“Lidia, let me explain.” He said as he walked into the nursery and found her staring at the crib.   
“Explain?! Go on then, Alfie. Explain to me why you were just thinking about another woman while I was sucking your cock! I would love to hear your explanation!”  
“I wasn’t thinking about her.” He said in a calm voice.   
“YOU CALLED ME ROSE!” She yelled.  
“I know. But it was an accident! I-“  
ACCIDENT? NO! An accident is when you step on my toe as we dance. An accident is turning the corner and running into someone. Calling me another woman’s name is NOT AN ACCIDENT!”  
“Look, you’ve been gone! You have been gone for months and she was available. I called you that out of habit, not because I wanted you to be her! If you hadn’t left-“ Alfie stopped as he ducked a small flying lamp.  
“DON’T YOU DARE BLAME THIS ON ME!” She said as tears began to fall from her eyes. “THAT’S WHY I FUCKING LEFT!”  
Alfie walked toward her and began to put a hand on her shoulder, but Lidia slapped him then put her hands on his chest and pushed him.   
“Don’t you fucking touch me! You want your precious Rose so much, then go get her!”   
Lidia pushed him again and walked past him to the sitting room, stopping at a linen closet on her way. She threw a blanket and pillow on the sofa.   
“What are you doing?” Alfie asked dismally.  
“If you think I’m going back to that bed with you…” Lidia said, the anger in her eyes taking over the tears.  
Alfie sighed, “You’re fucking pregnant. You’re not sleeping on the sofa.”   
“No. You would rather me go back to that bed that I’m sure is covered in Rosalie’s pleasure.”  
“I’ll buy a new bed. Right now. I’ll call Ishmael and have it delivered in half an hour.” He offered. “But you’re not sleeping on the sofa.”  
“You’re not listening! I am not sleeping next to you!” She blurted at him.   
“Then I will sleep on the sofa. Think of the baby, you have less than two months before you have him. You need to be comfortable.”  
“Comfortable.” She repeated with a scoff.  
“I’m sorry for what I said. I- …. This is fucking new for me, alright?”   
“I want to move out.” She said, tears still falling from her eyes.  
“No, Lidia.” Alfie sighed in frustration. “You’re not…”  
She looked at him, resolution on her face. “I’m moving out tomorrow. Then you can have her in your bed again. If you haven’t already.”  
“You’re the only one that’s been in that bed since you returned.” He said as she stood and began to walk away.  
Lidia paused before she exited the sitting room. “I wish I hadn’t come back.”   
________________________________  
Alfie laid on the sofa an hour later, staring at the dark ceiling. He hadn’t meant to say it, the words just came out; but Rosalie was nowhere close to his mind. Now Lidia wanted to leave his house and who knows if she would stay in London. The thought of losing her again flooded his mind and he stood and walked quietly to the bedroom.   
He slowly cracked open the door. Lidia was laying on her side with her back to the door, facing the window. He listened and heard a sniffle and knew she was awake. He walked in and sat on the foot of the bed, facing the door.   
“When I came home and saw you sitting on the sofa, I thought I was seeing things.” He confessed. “I’ve seen you in the pub, on the street, in my dreams.” He shook his head. “I told Ollie I wouldn’t help look for you, but I spoke with the police, had them looking…. When I realized you weren’t coming back, I burnt your letter, but it didn’t help. I still-“ He shifted to the side, looking at her silhouette. “She means nothing to me. She never has, she was just to pass the time. I used her to try and stop thinking about you, but it didn’t work. I’d close my eyes and it was you on top of me or lying next to me in bed.”  
Lidia said nothing as she listened.   
“Don’t leave, Lidia.” He said, emotion flooding his voice. “I can’t lose you again, please.”  
She sniffled quietly as Alfie waited to see if she would respond. When she didn’t, he surrendered and stood, walking back to the sitting room and sitting on the sofa. A few minutes passed and he looked up as she walked in the room. Her nose was red and her eyes wet and puffy.   
“I can’t sleep.” She said as the moisture from her eyes poured down her face.   
Alfie sat there staring at her, watching as her bottom lip quiver before she rubbed her nose.   
“You…. You don’t want her?” Lidia asked thickly as her bottom lip poked out slightly before she bit it and a new wave of tears sprung to her eyes.   
“No.” He answered honestly, remorse showing on his face.  
“I don’t want to be your second.” She said as a sob escaped her.   
“What?” he asked as he stood and walked toward her.   
“I don’t want you to resent me for you giving up your life and the women, but I don’t want to be the woman you come home and have sex with after having sex with someone else.”   
Alfie cupped her face in his hands. “I didn’t have to give them up, but I will because you are more important than them. Than any fucking woman that can cross my path. I want you, not them. You will never be my second.”  
Alfie slowly leaned his head down and planted a soft, gentle kiss on her wet, tear covered lips.   
“If you ever call me Rose again, I’ll kill you in your sleep and make it look like an accident.” She said with a sniff before she turned and started walking back to the bedroom.   
Alfie nodded his head in appreciation of her threat. “Alright, then.” He said as he followed her to the bedroom.   
He laid in bed fifteen minutes later, watching her sleep. The moonlight shone through the window, casting a blue light onto her tearstained face. Her eyes were still puffy, and Alfie brushed a hair from her lashes.   
“Oh, fucking hell Alfie.” He whispered to himself, acknowledging that he had fallen for a woman, against his own orders.  
The next morning Lidia awoke to find Alfie gone. Looking at the clock, she realized she had slept later than she meant to. She was disappointed that the night before had ended so badly. She had desired to have him inside her since the morning they woke up with the same bed a week earlier. She hated waking up feeling this way.  
She squeezed her thighs together, feeling that familiar yearning. She looked toward the bathroom, contemplated taking a bath and finding her release as she had done many times before. She groaned as she looked at the ceiling.   
“Why did he have to fuck it up?” She said aloud with a pout.   
She closed her eyes and imagined the night over, changing the ending. She began to rub her legs together as she fantasized about the things he could do to her. She ran her hand over her breast and felt her hard nipple as she began to breathe heavier, her desire growing by her own imagination. She ran her hand around her stomach and between her legs and could feel her own wetness.   
She didn’t want to touch herself, she wanted him to touch her. She stared at the ceiling in disappointment before a thought occurred to her. Quickly she got up and dressed.  
“Good morning, would you like some breakfast.” Edna asked as Lidia emerged from the bedroom.   
“Um, Yes but I’ve got to run down and see Alfie for a moment.”  
“I’ll prepare it and it will be ready for you when you are finished.” Edna said with a single nod and a smile.  
When I’m finished. Lidia laughed internally.   
___________________________________  
Alfie was sitting at his desk when he looked up to see a pair of bare feet walking toward his office.   
“Uh, Lidia.” He said as she walked in, “You realize you’re barefoot, right?”  
“Yes.” She said breathlessly as she walked around the desk.   
“What are you-“ He was cut off when she grabbed his face and put her lips on his.   
She sucked on his bottom lip, running her tongue over it as she straddled his leg. Alfie put his arms around her and felt her stomach on his as she melted into his kiss. She kissed him deeply and passionately.   
“I need you, Alfie.” She whispered breathlessly and she slowly moved her hips to apply friction from his leg that was in between hers.   
Alfie glanced down to her hips and a crooked smile emerged on his lips. “Alright. We’ll go upstairs.”  
“No. Here. Now.” She said whined as she moved her hip on his leg again and moved her hand down to rub him.   
Alfie growled as she touched him over his trousers. “The men will see.” He warned.  
“Let them.”  
“No knickers?” He asked, as he moved his hands up her dress, tutting at her with a smile.  
“They get in the way.” She said as she covered her mouth with his again.   
“Fuck, I can feel you through my trousers. You’re ready, aren’t you?” He said, beginning to feel his trouser leg get moist.  
“Why are you making me wait?” She asked and his smile broadened as he watched the lust displayed through her body language.  
He stood and kissed her as he undid his trousers. He freed himself and she began to lift the front of her skirt. He lifted her legs and began to set her on his desk before changing his mind and moving her against the wall on a console table that he pushed the belongings off of.   
“Why not the desk?” She asked as he placed her down.   
Alfie didn’t answer, instead he inserted himself swiftly. Lidia cried out in pleasure at the feeling of him stretch her.  
“Are you ok?” He asked to ensure he wasn’t hurting her or the baby.   
“Fuck me, Alfie!” She ordered and he immediately obeyed.   
He pushed into her as their tongues enjoyed one another. Lidia moaned loudly, not caring that the entire distillery could hear. Alfie put his face in her neck and kissed her as she pulled him closer with her legs.   
“What’s my name, Alfie?” She asked and he leaned back to look at her, never stopping his movements inside her. She grabbed his face and looked him in the eyes, “What’s my name?” She moaned.  
“Lidia.” He said as he kept his eyes on hers and thrust into her.   
“Hm?” She whined, raising her eyebrows at him.   
He kissed her, deeply and kept his nose touching hers as he repeated, “Lidia.”  
“Say it again.” She said as she leaned her head back and he knew she was getting close.   
He repeated her name over and over in her ear as her legs began to shake. She cried out as her buildup grew with each thrust. Alfie closed his eyes and listened to her sweet sounds. She leaned her head forward and kissed his jaw before she fell apart around him, digging her teeth into his neck. Alfie held in his own climax as long as he could and when she came off her peak, he shifted his hips and she cried out again, throwing her head back, convulsing around him for a second time while her eyes rolled back. The instantaneous second orgasm was too much, and he couldn’t stop his. Alfie released himself inside her, a groan escaping him as gave her all he had.   
They remained there, panting.   
“Fuck.” Alfie said as he attempted to catch his breath. “If you weren’t pregnant before, you are now.” He said as he slowly removed himself from her and began to fasten his trousers.  
“Again.” She said as she closed her legs from many men watching, still sitting on the console table.  
“What?” He asked, looking up at her.   
Her chest was still heaving, and she licked her lips. “I’ve wanted sex more since I got pregnant than ever in my life. We’ve got seven months to make up for.”  
“You’ve done a good job hiding it for the past week.” He laughed.  
Lidia raised an eyebrow at him, the corners of her mouth not moving. She began to remove herself from the table and Alfie moved forward to lift her down.  
“I’m going upstairs and I’m going to have sex all day. I can have sex with you, or by myself. You decide.” And she walked out of his office.   
He watched her walk a moment before he shook his head and began grabbing his things. “ADAM!” he barked.  
“Sir?” Adam said as she emerged from the stills.  
“You’re in charge today. Make sure everyone does their fucking job. Don’t bother me unless it’s important, and there had better not be anything important.” Alfie said as she walked out of his office, following the mother of his unborn child.


	20. Chapter 20

Alfie rushed up the stairs to find Lidia’s dress laying on the floor just inside the door. He smiled and looked up to see Enda.   
“Edna, thank you for coming in today. You may go.” He said cheerfully to his maid.  
“Sir?” Edna said, not understanding.  
Lidia moaned loudly from the other room and the two of them looked in the direction of the bedroom before looking at each other again.   
“Trust me.” Alfie said as he side-stepped toward the bedroom with a smile. “You don’t want to be here today.”  
Edna smiled her understanding and nodded.  
Alfie opened the door to the bedroom and found Lidia laying in her slip on the bed.  
“Started without me, have you?” He said as he took off his shirt and Lidia laughed.   
“Should have been quicker.” She said playfully.   
“Oh, yeah?” He said as he kicked off his shoes and began crawling on the bed. “Let’s get this off.” He said as he reached for the bottom of her slip and her smile faltered.  
“Um..” She hesitated.  
“What?” he asked.  
“I thought I would leave it on.” She suggested.  
“Why? I want to see your body.” He said as he settled himself on his stomach and kissing the inside of her thigh.   
“My body is… different now.” She explained and he could hear the self-consciousness in her voice.  
He leaned up and hovered over her stomach. “I know, you’re carrying my heir.”   
“Your heir?” She said laughing.   
“Yes, and I want to see this beautiful body, filled with my seed.” He said animatedly as he stared at her stomach as if he would devour it.   
Lidia shook her said with a smile and lifted her hips as he pulled up the bottom of her slip before he pulled it over her head.   
Alfie hadn’t seen her body since she left. No one had seen her body naked since she had become pregnant. As she lay naked before him awaiting his reaction, she felt incredibly vulnerable. Slowly, he lifted his hand and placed it on her stomach. He caressed her stomach before he leaned down and kissed it.   
“You’re beautiful.” He said, leaning forward and kissing her.   
Lidia immediately relaxed onto the bed and Alfie smiled.  
“Seven months, hm?” He said as his smiled turned mischievous.  
Lidia nodded as her eyes dared him to please her.   
“Well, I have a lot of work to do then.” He said as he leaned up on his knees and grabbed her foot. “I seem to remember you falling apart when I..” he said before he bit the sole of her foot and she moaned and titled her head back as she felt it tingle between her legs.   
He ran his teeth from her ankle to her knee, biting and kissing as he went. He bit the inside of her thigh and she could feel his breath on her. He knew she couldn’t see him over her stomach, and he smiled as he made her wait in anticipation.   
“Alfie..” She said frustrated so he put his mouth on her and his tongue inside her. She moaned and arched her back slightly as he pleased her, hitting her favorite spot with his tongue. Her anticipation and hunger for him for the past seven months came back at once and she could feel her toes begin to tighten as she fought her climax.   
He continued, knowing she was drawing closer and he moved his hands up to rub her stomach before she put her hands on his and her legs shook beside his ears as she came. Alfie moved his lips up her body, kissing her stomach and then turning to her breast.   
He put her breast in his mouth and instantly leaned back.   
“What’s wrong?” She asked, still attempting to catch her breath from her orgasm.   
Alfie looked from her breast to her face. “I forgot there was milk in your tits.”  
Lidia laughed. “Yes, that happens when you’re pregnant.”  
Alfie looked at with an annoyed expression. “I’m not fucking thick. I know, I was just in the moment and I forgot so I wasn’t ready when.. Never mind.” He said turning back to his task.  
He kissed her neck as his hand ran up her thigh. He began to use his thumb to rub circles as his other hand undid his trousers. He laid on his side and kissed her as he reached for her hip, encouraging her to turn on her side, facing him. She did so and put her leg over his hip and he entered her.   
____________________________________  
When they had finished, Alfie caressed her stomach.   
“I put that there.” He said as if she didn’t know.   
“Did you? I must have been sleeping, I don’t remember.” She replied cheekily.  
“Oh, you remember.” He said with a laugh before he looked at her abdomen.   
“I thought you wouldn’t want it.” She confessed.  
“I never thought I would. But I knew the moment you told me that I wanted to be a father…. Little Alfie.”  
“Are you going to be disappointed if it’s a girl?”  
“No. But it’s not. This is a boy, I can tell.”  
“Do you have much experience with predicting the sex of a child?” she laughed.  
“No, but this one is different. It’s my child. And I know it’s a boy.”  
As Lidia watched Alfie caress his unborn child with adoration, her stomach released a loud rumble.  
“Your child is hungry.” She said.  
___________________________________  
“Oh, bless her!” Lidia said as they walked into the kitchen. “Edna made soup and left it on to warm. You really should give that woman a raise.”  
“She likes you.” Alfie said.   
“I think she’s excited about the baby. She talks to it sometimes. Says she wants it to feel comfortable around her when it’s born and talking to it helps.”  
“She’s a good woman.” Alfie confessed, proud of his maid.   
“She thinks of you like family.” Lidia said with a smile, “It’s sweet”   
“She is family.” Alfie said, “But I think she’s just happy to see me finally starting a family of my own.”  
The two of them spend the day in bed, just as Lidia had wanted. She got her pleasure and he got his, and the remainder of the time they simply enjoyed being naked in bed together.   
The next month went by quickly and Alfie grew used to the idea that he was going to be responsible for a child soon. Rosalie had come by his office once a week since Lidia had returned and tried to seduce him, but Alfie sent her away and finally told his men she wasn’t to step foot in the bakery under any circumstances. He didn’t tell Lidia due to the fact he didn’t want her to think she needed to worry.   
Lidia, however, ran into Rosalie everywhere she went. When she went to the market, she would see Rosalie watching her. And when she couldn’t see her, she could feel her. Every time she saw her, Rosalie looked angrier and more mad than the time before. Thinking she was being paranoid; she kept this information from Alfie and hid her concern from Ishmael and Adam when they were with her.   
__________________________________________  
“I can’t see my feet anymore.” Lidia pouted as she walked into the dining room for breakfast.   
“They’re still there.” Alfie said with reassurance.   
“You are so funny. You should be in films.” Lidia said sarcastically and Alfie smiled at her.   
“It just means my son is growing.” He said with a proud look on his face as he stood and touched her stomach before grabbing his hat and coat. “What are you doing today?”  
“I’d like to go purchase some things for the baby.”  
“I’ll send Adam to meet you. If you can’t see your feet, I’d rather you not walk down the stairs alone.”  
“For someone so tough, you sure worry a lot.”  
“I don’t need you tumbling down the stairs.” He said before he kissed her and left.  
Adam met her as Alfie had promised and he took extra care to help her down the stairs, no doubt at Alfie’s request. She stepped inside a shop and began looking at different baby carriages.   
“I’m dying here. I’ve got to find the pisser” Adam said.   
“Alright. Go on.” She laughed.  
“Come stand by the door.”  
“Adam, I’ll be fine for three minutes while you take a wee.”  
Adam scanned the room and nodded, “Stay right here. Don’t move.”  
Lidia strolled the store, gazing at the baby carriages and looked over to spot a small stuffed bear. Wandering farther from where Adam had left her, she walked toward it and picked it up. She smiled as she looked at the bear and turned to walk back to meet Adam, who would be looking for her now. She felt a hand grab her arm from behind and whipped around, expecting it to be Adam, cross that she had moved. Instead, she faced a man with dark brown eyes and shoulder length, light brown hair.   
“Who are-“ She started but stopped as he held a knife to her stomach.  
“Walk.” He said, his grip on her arm tight. “If you do anything stupid, I will fucking cut this child out of you!” He growled angrily in her ear and she walked where he led, his knife at her side.


	21. Chapter 21

Lidia was terrified as she walked. She scanned the area for Adam but didn’t find him. Alfie said this could happen, why didn’t you listen to Adam? You stupid, foolish woman! She berated herself. Things had been so perfect for her and Alfie, she hadn’t given thought to her past attack.  
“Fucking smile!” The man said in her ear as they drew close to the door.  
Lidia gave the shop keeper a shaky smile but begged with her eyes to help.   
“Congratulations on your little one!” The shop keeper said in a cheerful tone.  
“Thank you.” The man said as he proceeded toward the door.   
Just before they reached the exit, Adam yelled, “Lidia!” and the man turned, showing his knife.   
“Adam! He has a knife!” She said as frightful tears began to fall from her eyes.  
Adam’s eyes fixated on the knife and Lidia could see him thinking how he would get her away without the man using it.  
“Me and the lady are leaving.” The man said with an evil smile.   
“You aren’t going anywhere with her.” Adam said threateningly before he pointed at the shopkeeper, while still keeping his eyes on the knife. “Call Alfie, now!”  
Lidia could feel pressure from the knife and tried to think of a way to stall him until Alfie came.  
“Adam! I can’t breathe!” She said in a panic as she began to breathe heavy.   
The man looked at her as she began to lean back on him, her head wobbling as she started to faint.  
“Lidia, look at me!” Adam yelled.  
“Mr. Solomons is on his way, sir!” The shop keeper told Adam.   
Lidia’s body began to go limp against the man, and he removed the knife from her stomach as he attempted to catch and hold her up. Adam saw the knife move and he ran forward.  
“Fuck!” The man yelled and he pushed the fainting Lidia toward Adam, who caught her and the two of them fell from the force of the push.   
The man ran out of the building and around the corner.   
“Lidia?” Adam said as he grabbed her face and turned it toward him.   
“Is he gone?” She asked as she opened her eyes and grabbed Adam’s arm tightly.  
“Yes, he’s gone.” Adam reassured her and she broke into sobs.   
Five minutes later, Alfie and his men burst through the door, guns drawn. He saw Lidia on the floor crying and Adam attempting to comfort her. He ran forward and knelt down.  
“Lidia? What happened?” He asked urgently.  
“A man with a knife tried to take her.” Adam answered.  
“Are you hurt?” Alfie asked Lidia who shook her head as she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his neck, her frightful sobs continuing.   
“H-he said he would c-cut it out of-f m-me.” She cried, almost unintelligibly.  
Alfie squeezed her tight and clenched his jaw. “How’d he get away?” He asked Adam.  
“He pushed her at me to keep me from catching him and he ran. We fell and then she started crying.”  
“You fell?” Alfie said and Adam nodded. “Lidia, are you alright? Are you sure you aren’t hurt?”  
Lidia said nothing as the shock of her attack and the danger her and her baby had been in settled over her.  
“Lidia, look at me. Do I need to call for a doctor?”  
Lidia slowly turned her head to look at him and shook her head. Alfie searched her eyes and could feel her shaking body.   
“Give a description of the man to the others and start your search. I’ll join you once I get her home with Edna.”  
Adam nodded before he looked at Lidia. “Sir, she fainted. That’s why he pushed her toward me. She said she couldn’t breathe, then she fainted. He knew you were coming; he couldn’t get away with a fainted pregnant woman.”  
“Alright. Go.” He told Adam as he looked at her.   
Without hesitating he put his arms under her and lifted. He carried her outside and to a car.   
“Ollie!” He yelled and Ollie came rushing forward, a worried look on his face. “Drive us home.”  
_______________________________________  
Alfie helped her up the stairs and when they walked through the door he said, “Edna, call for a doctor. Now.”  
“No.” Lidia said, finally speaking. “I don’t need a doctor.”  
“You fainted and then were thrown to the ground.” Alfie disagreed.  
“I didn’t. I only acted faint. I didn’t know what else to do.”  
“You still were thrown to the ground, Lidia.”   
“Adam took most of the impact when he caught me. I’m not injured or anything I swear.”  
“The baby-”  
“Is fine, it’s moving. Feel.” She said as she grabbed his hand and put it on her stomach.  
Alfie felt the child move inside her and he closed his eyes as relief washed over him.  
“Alright.” Alfie nodded, “What did he look like? Did you recognize him?”  
“No. He had light brown hair, it was long, going to his shoulders. Um, brown eyes. Other than that, all I saw was the knife.”  
Alfie sighed and nodded, turning to Ollie. “Let’s go.”  
“Wait, you’re leaving?” Lidia asked, her heart racing. “What if he comes here? For all we know, he knows you are going to look for him. What can Edna and I do about a madman if he decides he wants through that door?”  
Alfie thought for a moment and reached under the side table and then to the bedroom before coming back with two guns. He gave one to Edna and one to Lidia.   
“If anyone comes to that door, you don’t open it. If they manage to get in, you shoot them. I don’t care who it is. If it’s not me, you shoot them. Got it?”  
Edna nodded and Lidia looked at him. “Please don’t go.”   
“I can’t just sit here while he is out there. I have to find him.”  
“It’s alright, miss.” Edna said coming forward and putting her arm around Lidia’s shoulder. “We will be alright.” She said before looked at Alfie and nodded.   
Alfie left and Edna said, “I’ll make some biscuits. Something sweet for that baby, yeah?”  
Hours later, Alfie returned. He said nothing as he walked in the door and poured himself a drink. He sat and drank, not looking at Lidia. She readied herself for bed and went to the sitting room.   
“Are you coming to bed?” She asked.  
Alfie was slouched in the chair, his head resting on his fist as the other hand still held his drink.   
“No.” He replied with a small shake of his head, still not looking at her.   
“Are you cross with me?” She asked.  
“What?” He asked, turning his head in her direction.  
“Because it’s my fault that he got to me…”  
Alfie looked at her for the first time since he got home. “What are you talking about?”  
“I left. Adam told me to stay by the baby carriages and I didn’t listen. I went after this stupid stuffed bear.” She said as she bowed her head in shame.   
“Lidia, come here.”  
She walked and stood in front of him. He grabbed her around her middle and sat her on his lap.   
“What happened was not your fault. It’s mine.” He said and she looked at him quickly. “I should have caught him before. I should have fucking caught him today, but I didn’t. Again. He fucking-” Alfie rubbed his mouth in frustration. “I don’t know where he is going or who he is. Adam says he looks oddly familiar, but he doesn’t know where from.” Alfie shook his head.  
“He’s mad, Alfie. That’s not your fault.”  
“I’m supposed to protect you. And I can’t even fucking do that.”  
“You are!” She argued.  
“Then why is this man still out there? Why is he not dead and at the bottom of the fucking Thames?”  
Lidia didn’t know how to answer. She leaned her head on his and wrapped her arms around his neck and they held each other.   
“Come to bed, please. I just want to lay in your arms.”  
Alfie drank the rest of his whiskey in one gulp and followed her to bed where he held her while she slept, vowing he would find that mad bastard before his child was born.   
_______________________________  
The following week Rosalie attempted once more to get to his office and was removed from the entrance. Alfie was near the door when this happened and got a glimpse of her brown eyes.  
“Rosalie’s brother did a stay up north in prison. Find out what you can about him.” He told Adam later that afternoon and Adam nodded.  
A week later Adam came into Alfie’s office. “Victor Hughes.” He said as he sat. “Arson, battery, the works. Spent five years. Apparently, he started going mad. Stabbed two other criminals and a copper before he got out.”  
“Then why did they release him?” Alfie asked, a crease forming between his eyes.  
“They didn’t die.” Adam shrugged. “And the prison was tired of dealing with him. He did his five years and they let him go.”  
“And a description?”   
“Brown hair and brown eyes.” Adam said, already having the same assumption.   
“Find him.” Alfie ordered.  
“Problem with that boss. He boarded a ship a month after his release to America. Never came back.”  
“No. He’s back. Rosalie had lunch with him two months ago. Start looking.”  
“Should we bring in or question Rosalie?” Adam suggested and Alfie thought.   
“No. She’ll lie.” Remembering her lie when they had all been in the pub. “She would never admit it. Not if it was to get with me.”  
“Do you really think she would have her brother attack Lidia?” Adam asked following Alfie’s thoughts.   
“I don’t know. Jealousy makes people do mad things.” He said looking at Adam, referring to their altercation.  
Adam nodded his agreeance and left.   
That night, Lidia woke Alfie in a panic.   
“What?” Alfie growled.   
“There’s someone at the door.” Lidia said and Alfie heard a loud banging from the front door of the house.  
“Stay here.” He ordered as he reached on his bedside table and grabbed his revolver.  
The bangs on the door grew more demanding as Alfie drew closer. Unable to sit in bed, Lidia walked quietly down the hall to peek around the corner.   
Alfie looked over his shoulder and saw Lidia watching. He held his finger up to his mouth telling her to be quiet and she nodded that she would obey his order. He grabbed the door handle and opened the door, pulling up his gun.   
“Fucking hell.” He said as he lowered it. “What the fuck do you want? Go home!”  
“Are you going to shoot me, Alfie?” Rosalie asked, attempting to sound seductive.  
“Are you drunk?” Alfie asked.  
“Yes!” She said as she threw her hands around his neck and placed her lips on his. “Take advantage of me!”  
He grabbed her shoulders and pulled her away from their sloppy, nonconsensual kiss. “Go the fuck home!”  
“NO!” Rosalie said as she began to undo her coat. “Why would you want that round, unattractive THING when you can have THIS!” She dropped her coat to reveal a lacy pair of knickers and brassiere, matched with stockings and heels.   
“Fucking hell.” Alfie said as he shook his head in annoyance. “Put your clothes on and go home.”  
She flung herself at him again and he could taste the rum on her breath as she grabbed his face once more. Alfie growled and pushed her face back. He stooped and picked up her coat.   
“FUCK OFF!” he yelled violently in her face.  
“SHE’S PATHETIC! WITH HER FUCKING BOOKS! SHE’S NOTHING BUT A COMMON WHORE!” Rosalie yelled back and Alfie’s face grew red with anger. “I can please you more than she could ever dream to! And that… that THING inside her is-“  
Alfie had heard enough. He grabbed her head by the hair and pulled her head back.  
Rosalie started to laugh, “See? Already you’re tempted. You’re angry, Alfie.” She said as she touched his arm. “I know what you like when you’re angry. Does she?”   
Alfie walked to the doorway and looked in her eyes before saying in a harsh, cold tone, “You’re spent, Rosalie.”   
Rosalie’s face grew angry.  
“Now, fuck off. Out of my house, and off my fucking streets. And if I find out you had ANYTHING to do with these attacks on my wife or my unborn child, I will kill you with my own FUCKING hands.”   
Still holding onto her hair, he threw her out and heard her attempting to catch herself but failing. Rosalie tumbled down the bottom stairs and screamed in anger toward Alfie who had already slammed the door.   
Alfie turned to look at Lidia who had tears in her eyes before she turned and walked back to the bedroom. He followed her and found her laying in bed. Assuming she was angry with him for Rosalie’s actions he sat on the edge of the bed and looked over his shoulder at her.   
“She’s fucking mad.”  
Lidia laid there for a moment before she said, “Did you hear what you said?”  
He thought back, thinking he had said something he shouldn’t, but couldn’t decide what. When he didn’t respond she said, “You called me your wife.”  
Realizing that her tears weren’t of anger, he removed his trousers and slid closer to her, wrapping his arm around her.   
“I did.” Alfie said in her ear as he noticed how perfectly their bodies molded to each other. “And I meant it.”   
Lidia looked behind her and their lips touched.   
“Make love to me, Alfie.” She whispered and he positioned himself before heeding her command.   
He wrapped his arm lovingly around her, holding onto her stomach as he kissed her neck and enjoyed being inside her. They each took their time and when they were on the edge Alfie whispered, “Marry me, Lidia…”   
“Yes.” She whispered and they found their release together.  
Hours later, Lidia awoke and looked around the room. Alfie still held her around the waist, his hand laying gently on her stomach. She turned toward him and he rubbed her abdomen before getting as close as physically possible to her. She smiled, knowing he was unaware of his affection in his sleep. She admired his handsome features for a moment before drifting back to sleep.


	22. Chapter 22

Two hours later, Lidia was awake again. Unable to sleep, she slowly got out of bed and walked to the nursery. She ran her hand along the crib, feeling the smooth wood. She looked at the small clothes she had already purchased, and the rocking chair Alfie had bought for her. She picked up one of the children’s story books and sat in the rocking chair. She began reading the story aloud as she rubbed her stomach. After a little less than an hour, she stood, feeling anxious.  
Lidia walked to the sitting room, not wanting to sit, and looked out the window. The sun was just beginning to light the sky. Wanting something to occupy her anxious energy, she walked to the kitchen and began to cook breakfast. It was early and she knew Alfie wouldn’t be up for an hour and a half or so, so she began making an apple babka. Another 50 minutes passed, and she started feeling uncomfortable.   
Thinking she had been on her feet too long, she set her baking aside and sat in the dining room.   
“There you are. What are you doing in here?” Alfie asked.  
“I wanted to make you a babka, but I’ve stood too long.”  
“Mm.” Alfie responded as he kissed the top of her head. “Edna can finish it when she gets here. I’ve got a meeting in Birmingham today.”  
“You’re going to Birmingham?” She asked as she looked up at him.  
“Yeah, business I started before you got back. I’ll be back this evening though.”  
Lidia couldn’t explain why him being gone made her nervous, but it did.   
“I want to go with you.” She said as she stood and followed him to the sitting room.  
“What?” He laughed. “You’re not going.”  
“Why not?” She pressed.  
“Because I’m going for business. You don’t need anywhere near that right now. Not to mention you’re fucking pregnant. The drive alone will make you hurt.”  
“I want to go.” She urged.   
She knew she needed to be with him today, but she didn’t know why.  
“Out of the question.” He said shaking his head.  
“Please! I’ll stay in the car, the Brummie won’t even know I’m there.”  
“Lidia, it is a long drive-“  
“Exactly! There’s a madman out there and you’re leaving me here, hours away. What happens if he finds out you’re gone? You think he won’t try to come here?” She said, thinking this was the reason for her anxiety.  
“If you’re afraid, I can leave Ad-“  
“I don’t want Adam, I want you.” She said with a look of authority. “I am going to Birmingham. So, make room in the car for your pregnant bride.”  
Alfie’s eyes softened when she referred to herself as his ‘bride’ and he sighed.  
“I don’t know how long my meeting will be. You may be sitting in the car for hours.” He tried to argue.  
“I’ll pack something to eat and a book.”   
She pressed him until finally he agreed.  
______________________________________  
Lidia sat in the car next to Alfie on their way to Birmingham. Every forty minutes she would shift, feeling uncomfortable.   
“Are you alright?” Alfie asked.   
“Yes, I just can’t get comfortable.” She said, pushing back the reality of what was happening.   
By the time they arrived at Tommy Shelby’s large estate house, Lidia had begun feeling a deep throb in her lower abdomen. She didn’t tell Alfie, however, reasoning within herself that she was imagining things.   
“I’m going in. These two are staying out here with you.” He said motioning to Adam and Ishmael, the only two men that came with them.  
Lidia nodded and Alfie furrowed his brow at her, seeing something in her eye. He got out of the car and looked at Ishmael saying, “Keep an eye on her.” and Ishmael nodded.  
Alfie went in and he and Tommy talked business longer than Alfie had originally anticipated. Outside, Lidia got out of the car.   
“You told Alfie you wouldn’t get out of the car.” Ishmael said as she slid out.   
“I lied.” She said as she took a few steps, discomfort evident on her face.   
“Are you alright?” Adam asked.  
“I’m fine.” She said, as the pain she had anticipated set in on her stomach.   
________________________________________  
“Where is he?” Rosalie asked one of the younger men at the bakery sweetly.  
“He’s gone to Birmingham.” The naïve kid answered.  
“Oh?” She said, breathing tight.   
“Yes, he set off this morning.”  
“Business?” She asked.  
“I think. No one tells me anything. I just mark the barrels.”  
“You think?” she pressed, “Why else would he go to Birmingham?”  
“I know Lidia went with him so, maybe personal.” He shrugged. “What was your name again?”  
“Was he taking her on holiday?” Rosalie asked, her sweet voice cracking.  
Before the boy could answer, Ollie walked up. “Go on Rosalie. You know you aren’t supposed to be here.”  
“I will go anywhere I damn well please!” She spat.  
“Not here. Alfie’s orders.”  
“Alfie’s orders? No, your sister has him confused! The fucking-“  
“Don’t be nasty simply because he doesn’t want you anymore.” Ollie said with a pitying shake of his head. “Go on. Don’t come back.”  
That was all it took. Rosalie screamed in his face.   
“What the fuck is wrong with you?” Ollie asked as he backed up a step.   
“I was the one he wanted all this time. NOT her!” she yelled.   
“Rosalie, are you fucking mental? Go home.” Ollie said. “He doesn’t want you anymore!”  
Rosalie looked at him, then at the young man and she turned and walked away.  
_____________________________________________  
Lidia had packed a light lunch for herself, not knowing how long the day would be and as she started to eat, she felt better. Her pain lightened a bit as she relaxed. Maybe you were just hungry she said to herself.   
Time went on and her pains came back, though she tried to hide it from the men. The pains were far enough apart she felt confident she could make it back to Camden Town without saying anything.   
“Get in the car, Lidia!” Ishmael hissed and Lidia looked to see a car coming up the way.  
Lidia got in the car and shut the door and Ishmael and Adam watched from the outside, their shoulders squared as a woman with pursed lips a few years older than Alfie and a woman younger than Lidia got out of the car. The older woman eyed the men as she walked in the house.  
“That’s why he didn’t want you to come.” Ishmael said.   
“Why? Who are they?”   
“Shelbys.” Adam said with a shrug. “Can’t trust them.”  
“Then why is Alfie doing business with them?” Lidia asked.  
“Alfie trusts Tommy. I don’t know why.” Ishmael said.  
“Trust is a bit strong. They respect each other.” Adam corrected.   
Lidia paced outside and eventually the younger woman walked out.   
“Hello.” She said to Lidia and immediately the two men stood in front of her. “I’m sorry.” She said quickly. “I just thought you might want some tea or a biscuit?”  
“Why?” Lidia questioned, her guard up.  
“Because I remember what it was like being pregnant and standing outside all day is not pleasant, I’m sure. And I had to wee all the time.” The woman laughed.   
“Ada.” The older woman came out and said, “I told you she wouldn’t. Now, come in.”  
“Well, if you change your mind.” Ada said to Lidia before she turned around.   
“Wait!” Lidia yelled. Both women and the two men turned and looked at her. Lidia looked at the men, “I need use the toilet.” She said before she took a step toward the house.   
“No.” Ishmael said, shaking his head. “Alfie will murder us on the way home and leave our bodies in the fucking field if we let you go in.”  
“Unless you want me to wee on your foot, you’ll let me go in.” Lidia said before she walked past him.   
The two men stood outside, looking nervously at one another. Adam took a step forward and the older woman put her hand up. “Not you. You two stay outside.” She ordered.  
“Lidia…” Adam warned.   
“Relax. She’ll be fine.” The older woman said before she turned and followed the other two inside.  
“I’m Ada.” She introduced herself and held out her hand as they walked.  
Lidia looked at her hand then up at her face and said, “Lidia.” Without accepting her handshake.   
“This is Polly.” Ada said pointedly at Polly.  
Lidia didn’t respond, she simply wanted to use the toilet. She sat and did her business and as she stood, she noticed blood. The realization that her child was coming set in and she wanted, more than anything, to tell Alfie. She walked into the sitting room and found the two women.  
“Please. Sit.” Ada said with a kind smile.  
Lidia did as Ada asked for a moment before another shooting pain hit her, this time in her back. She stood again.  
“You don’t have to be nervous.” Ada said. “It is curious though, no one Tommy does business with ever brings their pregnant…..?” She said, inquiring about Lidia and Alfie’s relationship.  
Lidia examined her and finally said, “Fiancé.”   
“Oh. Congratulations.” Ada said kindly.  
“Is that Alfie’s child?” Polly asked.   
Lidia turned and looked at her. “I should go outside.”  
“No, wait. It must be extremely uncomfortable.” Ada said again.  
“Why do you care?” Lidia retorted angrily as another pain rang through her lower body.  
“I was just trying to be kind.” Ada said, taken aback.  
“Well, if Alfie finds me in here-“ Lidia stopped speaking and closed her eyes as the pain that ran through her took her breath away. She bent over slightly and released a shaky breath.  
“Are you alright?” Polly asked. “Are you in pain?”  
Lidia looked at Polly in defiance. “I’m fine. I’ll wait outside.”  
Polly eyed her suspiciously but let her proceed to the exit.   
“Lidia?” She heard Alfie said behind her and she turned. “What the fuck are you doing?” He asked.  
“I had to use the toilet.” She confessed.   
She could see the frustration and irritation in his eyes.   
“I’m sorry, I just-“ She said before she stopped, breathless again.   
She put her hand on her stomach and Alfie rushed to her.   
“What is it? What’s wrong?” He asked.  
She looked at him and took a couple short breaths. “I think I’m having the baby.”


	23. Chapter 23

Alfie stared at her for a moment as he processed what she had just said.   
“You’re-“ He started as he looked at her stomach.  
“In labor. Yes.” She nodded.  
“Right.” He said. “Let’s go.”  
“Go?” Polly interrupted as Alfie put his hand on Lidia’s back. “And what? Deliver a baby in the backseat of the car on your way to London?”  
“There’s not time, Alfie we won’t make it.” Lidia said grabbing his wrist.  
“How long has this been going on?” He asked, sensing she wasn’t telling him everything.  
“Since we left.” Lidia confessed.  
“Since we-“ He started to repeat but cut himself off as he wiped a hand on his beard.   
“Maybe sooner…” She finished.  
Alfie turned his head toward her, his eyes round and his mouth tight with frustration. “That’s why you were awake at 4 o’clock this morning. Yeah?”  
Lidia nodded and he inhaled a deep breath, attempting to contain his anger at her dishonesty.  
“If you had told me, we wouldn’t have come to this FUCKING place. What the fuck were you thinking?” He berated.  
Lidia looked at the three Shelbys around her. “Can you yell at me later please? After I’ve birthed your child.” She said defensively.   
Before he could respond, the crowd heard a car sliding on the gravel to a halt before shouting commenced outside. Tommy Shelby stepped forward and opened the door to reveal a blond woman with brown eyes raising her voice at Ishmael.   
“I CAME ALL THIS WAY! I WILL SEE HIM!” she shouted.   
“No, you won’t. Turn around and leave.” Ishmael said as Adam eyed the outline of another individual in her car.   
“What the fuck?” Alfie said under his breath as he walked toward the door.  
“Alfie!” Rosalie said almost cheerfully. “I came here to speak with you about last night. It’s very import-“  
“ENOUGH!” Alfie said in an angry growl. “How did you know I was here?”  
“Alfie…” Adam said as he slowly walked to the car to get a better look at the person inside.  
“It doesn’t matter. None of that matters. I’m here, now.” Rosalie said as she ran forward and attempted to caress his face, but Alfie stepped back with a disturbed look on his face.   
“Alfie?” Tommy said, confused at the drama that was commencing in front of his house.  
“Get back in your car and leave, Rosalie. Or so help me I will-“ Alfie’s threat was interrupted by the sudden opening of the Rosalie’s car door.  
A man lunged out of the car at Adam and the two began to wrestle on the gravel. He punched Adam, his madness showing. Everything happened so fast, Adam was unconscious before anyone could process what was happening.  
Lidia grabbed her stomach and leaned against the doorframe as she watched the mayhem, her thoughts consumed by the stabbing pain she was experiencing.  
Ishmael ran forward to help Adam and the man lunged at him. When the pain had subsided enough for her to focus, she looked back up and her eyes went wide.   
“Alfie, that’s him!” She yelled and he looked back at her.   
He saw the fear in her eyes, and he looked back at the man, seeing red.   
The Victor pulled a knife out of a sleeve around his ankle and held it up, ready to stab Ishmael. Before he could swing the knife down, Alfie tackled him. Rosalie’s brother stabbed Alfie in the leg, high on the thigh, almost to his hip.   
Lidia screamed as she saw the knife dig inside Alfie and she started to go toward him. Tommy grabbed her and pulled her back from the madness as he pulled out his gun. He aimed but couldn’t get a clear shot. “Fuck!” Tommy said in frustration and he went toward the fight.  
Ishmael came after Victor, but Victor stood quickly and grabbed him, snarling before biting Ishmael’s ear, slicing off a piece of cartilage and spitting it away.   
Ishmael yelled in pain as Tommy drew close to the altercation. Alfie too came to Ishmael’s aid, his leg bleeding through his trousers.   
Before they made it, Lidia yelled, “ALFIE!” and he glanced over at the sound of his name and he froze.  
Rosalie was standing behind Lidia, a gun to her head.  
“Stop.” Alfie said before he yelled at the fighting men, “STOP!”   
Everyone froze and stared at Rosalie’s trigger finger.   
“What is it, Alfie?” Rosalie asked as her hand shook. “What does she have that I don’t?”   
“Rosalie.. put the gun down.” Alfie said as he took a step closer, his hand out in an attempt to calm her.  
“WHAT IS IT ALFIE!” She yelled and Lidia jumped, closing her eyes as frightful tears fell from them. “Is it this?” Rosalie continued, dropping the gun to point to Lidia’s stomach.  
Alfie’s eyes went wide. “Rosalie, put the gun down. Now!” he growled.  
“ANSWER ME!” She yelled and Lidia felt the barrel of her gun dig into her stomach.  
“Alfie.” Lidia sobbed as she grabbed her stomach and closed her eyes as another pain settled in her lower back.  
“What does she have?” Alfie said, “Nothing. She has nothing that you don’t. The only reason I still have her around is because of the child. I want the child. Don’t kill my child, Rosalie please.”  
“You don’t love her?” Rosalie asked.  
“No.” He answered. “Just my child.”  
“Then why is she living in your house?”  
“I moved her in so she wouldn’t leave again. It’s my child I care about. That’s why I wanted her here. Once the baby is born, I don’t care what happens to her, so long as I have my fucking kid.”  
Tears ran down Lidia’s cheeks.   
“And things will go back to the way they were?” Rosalie asked, her eyes brightening.  
“Yes.” Alfie said as he continued to move closer.   
“How do I know you’re being honest?” she asked.  
Alfie looked at Rosalie’s hand and saw her finger tight on the trigger.   
“What do you want me to do?” Alfie asked.  
She looked at him, her face resolved. “Kiss me.”  
Alfie drew closer and leaned his face in. He kissed Rosalie and Lidia released a sob as she heard their lips part, allowing entrance for one another’s tongue.   
Alfie put his hand on Rosalie’s neck and then cupped her face. He felt her body relax and her gun hand moving from Lidia’s stomach as she put her hand on his chest.  
Feeling the gun move from her stomach, Lidia moved forward, tripping onto her hands and knees.  
Alfie quickly moved his hand from Rosalie’s face to her neck and began to squeeze as he pulled away from their kiss.   
“I told you I would kill you with my own FUCKING hands if you came near her again!” He growled angrily as she gasped for air.   
Victor screamed and ran toward Alfie. Tommy, already having his gun in his hand, lifted it and shot him. Victor dropped to the ground lifeless.  
Rosalie started to panic as she gasped for air. She grabbed Alfie’s wrist with her hand as the other hand held tight to the gun. Alfie moved his free hand for the gun but she moved it from his grasp. He grabbed her forearm and pulled it toward him, intending to take it. She struggled, trying to pull her arm from him but he was too strong. She tensed and the gun went off.   
Alfie threw her arm away as he yelled in pain and anger as a bullet dug into his shoulder. The gun flew from her grasp landing on the ground. Blood dripped down Alfie’s arm as his other held onto Rosalie’s throat, knowing she couldn’t hold on much longer.   
Alfie’s face grew blurry as Rosalie stared at him, her life fading from her. Doing the last thing she could think, Rosalie put her thumb in Alfie’s fresh gunshot and her other hand pressed onto his leg wound. Alfie released her as pain seared through multiple spots on his body. Rosalie fell back and her hand went to her neck as she gagged and coughed.   
Rosalie’s face turned to Lidia and she began to straighten her body, resolved to go after her. As she stood, gunshots rang through the air. The men ducked instinctually before Alfie looked up to see Rosalie’s body convulsing as one shot after another hit her body.   
Alfie looked at Lidia as he took a step toward her wanting to go protect her, but found tears were running down her face as she held the gun, pulling the trigger. Finally, she let the gun drop from her hand as Alfie reached her. She flung her arms around his neck, weeping bitterly.   
“She shot you!” Lidia cried.  
“I’m alright. It’s just a shoulder.” Alfie said pushing away his own pain as he reveled in the feeling of holding her alive in his arms.  
She leaned back from him and hit his chest. “You kissed her!” She said angrily.  
“To save your-“  
“You said-“  
“I didn’t mean it!”  
“You said…” She said before she collapsed in tears, her sobs preventing her from speaking.   
He pulled her close and petted her hair as she cried into his neck.  
“I didn’t mean anything I told her. I had to get her away from you.” He softly.  
“Ahh.” She said as she leaned over, holding her stomach.   
“Let’s get you off the ground.” Alfie said as he tried to stand with her.   
She remained hunched, as she gave a light yelp and a warm liquid ran down her legs.   
“Oh fuck.” Polly said. “That’s water.” She said with her lips pursed and her eyebrows raised.  
“Get her upstairs.” Tommy said immediately.   
“What?” Alfie asked, his brow furrowed.   
“Well, you’re not leaving now.” Polly said matter-of-factly as she and Ada stepped forward toward Lidia.


	24. Chapter 24

“Alfie..” Lidia said as she grabbed his arm.  
He looked at Tommy, who nodded. Then at the women who were awaiting him to release the mother of his child.  
“It’s alright.” Tommy finally said. “They’ve done this before.”  
Alfie cupped Lidia’s face and looked into her eyes. She was scared and looking to him for strength. He didn’t want his child to be born in Birmingham, but he knew he wouldn’t be able to look at himself if he forced her into giving birth on the side of the road or in the back of a car. He nodded to her, letting her know to go with the women.  
“I’m scared.” She whispered, looking at the unfamiliar house and the unfamiliar women offering to help her.  
Alfie kissed her gently and caressed her temple with his thumb. “Don’t be. Everything is going to be alright.”  
His words and confidence in her gave her strength and she smiled at him softly before turning to the women.  
____________________________  
“AHHH!” Alfie heard her scream in pain on the other side of the door.  
He looked at the ceiling and exhaled a deep breath.  
“How did I end up here, Tommy?” He asked as he shook his head.  
Tommy stared at him.  
“Drink?” Tommy offered as he held a glass with amber liquid out, but Alfie shook his head.  
“AHHH!” she yelled again, and Alfie released a frustrated growl.  
“Is the bullet out?” Tommy asked.  
“No.” Alfie said shaking his head “And they won’t let me in the fucking room.” He growled angrily, motioning toward the door.  
Alfie tilted his head back against the wall as he listened to her screaming on the other side. He closed his eyes and thought to himself, how did I end up here?

He shook his head and smiled as he thought about the first time he laid eyes on Lidia.  
“I always thought you were fucking weak for falling for a woman.” Alfie said as he looked at Tommy with a small grin.  
“So did I.” Tommy said with a silent chuckle.  
“AHH!”  
“Fucking hell! How long is this going to take?” Alfie asked, bitterly as he motioned at the door.  
“C’mon Alfie. Leave the women to their business. I’ll dig that bullet out of your shoulder.”  
“Yeah, and fucking cripple me for life? How thick do you think I am, Tommy?” He retorted but followed anyway, looking back at the door separating him from Lidia.  
_______________________________________  
Alfie took off his shirt and sat. Tommy brought a bottle of whiskey and gave it to him to have a drink before he took it back and poured some on Alfie’s wound. Alfie hissed in a breath through gritted teeth as the pain of the alcohol stung his shoulder. Tommy grabbed a long pair of tweezers and began digging for the bullet.  
“Who was she?” Tommy asked, referring to Rosalie.  
Alfie grunted in pain as he clenched his jaw. “Some woman I fucked. She went fucking mental when Lidia arrived. I couldn’t get rid of her, she kept fucking showing up. I literally grabbed her by the hair last night and threw her from my house.”  
“How did she know where to find you?”  
“According to my men, she found out I was in Birmingham and, knowing I do business with you, asked for you. Coppers led her here. FUCKING HELL!” He growled angrily as Tommy searched for the bullet.  
“And the man?”  
“Her fucking brother. He has been attacking Lidia since before she was pregnant but we didn’t know it was him…….. ARE YOU FUCKING ENJOYING YOURSELF?” he barked, and Tommy pulled out his tweezers, the bullet at the end.  
“Got it.” Tommy said as he examined it. Then he looked at Alfie and said, “I didn’t even know you were going to be a father, Alfie.”  
“No? You didn’t get my letter?” Alfie said sarcastically.  
“How’s the leg?” Tommy asked.  
“What? You want me to take my trousers off for you too?” Alfie responded and Tommy gave a shake of his head, the humor at his comrade visible in his eyes.  
Alfie put his shirt on as they heard heels approach on the hard wood floors. He looked up nervously as Polly entered the room.  
Polly smiled at the two men and said, “It’s a boy!”  
Alfie didn’t hesitate. He brushed past her and ran up the stairs. As he reached the door, Ada was exiting the room. She looked at him and smiled kindly, leaving the two of them alone.  
Alfie swallowed hard as he pushed the door open. He stopped as he saw Lidia holding the small newborn. Emotion overwhelmed him as he drew closer to the bed, she was laying in.  
“You were right. He was a boy.” She said as she smiled up at him.  
Alfie nodded and released a breath as warm tears prickled his eyes and threatened to fall. Lidia looked exhausted and pale, hair clinging to her temples with sweat but he had never seen her look so beautiful.  
“Alfie?” She said, seeing the tears in his eyes.  
He knelt down by the bed and looked at his son before looking into Lidia’s eyes and leaning forward to kiss her.  
“Do you want to hold him?” She asked as she held him, and Alfie nodded as he took the tiny baby boy in his arms.  
Alfie stared at him, his heart threatening to burst. After a few minutes he looked at Lidia and said, “I helped make this.”  
And Lidia laughed. “Yeah, well I did all the hard parts.”  
_____________________________________  
“Are you happy?” Lidia asked as she laid in bed, looking at the father of her child while the baby slept soundly between them.  
Alfie shook his head. “Happy doesn’t begin to explain it.  
“He is pretty perfect.” She said as she looked down at their son before turning her head to yawn, her eyelids growing heavy.  
Alfie was running his hand over her hair and he whispered, “Get some rest, love.”  
“We should probably leave. I highly doubt Tommy Shelby wants us here longer than we need to be.”  
“We’ll go after you’ve rested.” Alfie replied and Lidia nodded, closing her eyes, falling asleep instantly.  
Alfie watched the two of them sleep, his heart full. When a light knock hit the door Alfie said, “Yes?” and Tommy opened the door and leaned against the frame.  
“We will leave soon. She just fell asleep.” Alfie said and Tommy shook his head.  
“Let her rest. Stay as long as she needs.”  
“Fucking hell, Tommy. You are soft.” Alfie said.  
Tommy breathed a chuckle and nodded. “A boy, eh?”  
“Yeah, look at him.” Alfie said as he looked down at his son and Tommy walked forward to see Alfie’s son. “He’s going to be as toughest Solomons yet. You Peakies better watch out.”  
Tommy smiled at Alfie, internally acknowledging that when it comes to family, he is soft.  
“I’ll pay you and your family.” Alfie said and Tommy looked at him, confused. “For the trouble,” Alfie explained, referring to Rosalie and her brother. “And helping with this.” He continued as he looked at his family.  
Tommy would have said no but knew Alfie would not allow their help to be a personal favor. Alfie wouldn’t be indebted to Tommy Shelby, so Tommy nodded and left Alfie and Lidia to rest.  
Alfie continued to stare at his child and the woman that brought his son into the world. There was no denying he was in awe of the two of them. He smiled as he put his hand on hers, on top of the baby’s swaddled body. He knew the Solomons family had a big future ahead of them, he was going to make sure of that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to samirahanna for the aesthetic shown in this last chapter! It's amazing and I'm awestruck that my fanart inspired you to create it!
> 
> in case the picture isn't showing in the story, please see link below.  
> https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cg9OGvPeST9HDgz5mg5BRFwOTDqNuqHk/view


End file.
